EMFAF

€6.11 billion

Support for fishermen, coastal communities, sustainable fishing and aquaculture

Analysis | Procedure 1–2 | Text 1–2 | Status | Info | Calls | Results | Website 1–2 | Docs | News | Events

DG / Agencies responsible: MARE | CINEA | National and regional authorities

This paragraph could be further updated based on developments in the new EU, national and regional planning of funds for 2021-2027.

Structural Funds – specific features

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is a special fund.

It is part of the so-called Structural Funds, together with the ERDF, ESF+, EAFRD and the Cohesion Fund, although it deals with a very specific sector. It is part of the indirectly (or rather, jointly) managed funds, which benefit the Italian maritime regions and which at national level refer to a EMFAF NOP, co-financed by national budgets (as is the case for the other Structural Funds).

However, the EMFAF also has a component managed directly by the European Commission services: it can therefore be counted both among the indirectly/jointly managed funds/programmes and among the directly managed EU programmes. The part of the EMFAF under indirect/shared management is predominant, so we include it in this section of the Guide.

The part of the EMFAF under shared management is also covered in our Guide in the section dedicated to NOPs (EMFAF NOP). In this section , we will present the structure and specific features of the EMFAF as a whole, including general information valid both for its nationally managed part and for the part implemented under direct management by the European Commission.

Potential beneficiaries

All stakeholders involved in the exploitation and management of marine resources, in particular fishermen, aquaculturists, coastal communities, civil society organisations, marine scientists and public authorities.

Description and objectives

Maritime affairs and marine resources are a priority for the European Union: they are linked to its role as a global maritime player, a major producer and consumer of fish and seafood, a leading advocate for the sustainable use of resources and environmental protection, and a guarantor of its citizens’ basic needs (safety at sea and in the oceans, food supplies) and socio-economic development (the blue economy and coastal communities).

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is an embodiment of the EU’s common fisheries policy and its maritime policy. It also supports the implementation of the European Green Deal, the “Farm to Fork” strategy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change. In particular, the EMFAF promotes:

• Actions and investments that contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity and to sustainable, low-impact fishing and aquaculture activities;
• The supply of healthy, high-quality seafood products to European consumers;
• The development of a sustainable blue economy in coastal communities;
• Maritime surveillance and international cooperation on ocean governance.

More specifically, the EMFAF pursues ten objectives:

1. Strengthening sustainable fishing from an economic, social and environmental perspective;
2. Improving energy efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions;
3. Promoting the alignment of fishing capacity with fishing opportunities and contributing to a fair standard of living in the event of a temporary cessation of fishing activities;
4. Promoting efficient fisheries control and reliable data for knowledge-based decision-making;
5. Promoting a level playing field for fisheries and aquaculture products produced in the outermost regions;
6. Contributing to the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems;
7. Promoting sustainable and economically viable aquaculture activities;
8. Developing competitive, transparent and stable markets for fishery and aquaculture products, as well as the processing of these products;
9. Enhancing the sustainable management of the seas and oceans by promoting marine knowledge, maritime surveillance and/or cooperation between coastguards;
10. Developing fishing and aquaculture communities in coastal and inland areas.

Types of initiatives and projects

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund supports:

• Actions to support the improvement of fishing gear, facilities and practices;
• Innovation and sustainability in the blue economy sector;
• The improvement of aquaculture facilities and the environmental sustainability of the sector;
• The quality and sustainability of marine food sources, for the supply of healthy, quality seafood products to European consumers;
• Actions to protect marine biodiversity and ecosystems;
• Innovation and investment in low-impact, climate-resilient and low-carbon fishing practices and techniques, product processing and aquaculture;
• Improving skills and working conditions in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors;
• The socio-economic appeal and generational renewal in the fishing industry, and the economic and social vitality of coastal communities;
• The gathering, management and use of data to improve our understanding of the state of the marine environment;
• Maritime intelligence and surveillance, cooperation with the coastguard and international ocean governance, for healthy, safe and sustainably managed oceans.

As already mentioned, part of the programme is implemented under direct management by the European Commission services (DG MARE and CINEA), but for the most part it is implemented indirectly, i.e. under joint management with the Member States. The reference programme for Italy is the EMFAF NOP, all the details of which can be found on this website:

• Drafts of the Operational Programme;
• SWOT analysis;
• Documents from the Partnership Consultation and the Technical Round Tables.

The priorities of the 2021–2027 EMFAF National Operational Programme are, of course, aligned with the general priorities of the EMFAF. Set out below are the EMFAF allocations for Italy, as set out in the draft Operational Programme of 20 September 2021 (the draft and subsequent updates can be viewed here)

Key new features

The EMFAF builds on the experience of the previous planning period, with a simplified structure, greater involvement by Member States and a stronger focus on strengthening international ocean governance.