EU fisheries fund moves to new agency

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will be managed by the new European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) starting next month, the European Commission has confirmed.

From 1 April, CINEA will look after the EMFF, the Life Program, Horizon 2020 Energy Efficiency, and part of the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge “Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials.”

Established by the commission, CINEA will support the implementation of the European Green Deal by managing relevant E.U. programs with a total budget of EUR 52 billion (USD 61.9 billion) over the period of 2021-2027, including parts of Horizon Europe, LIFE, EMFF, the Climate Innovation Fund, the Renewable Energy Financing Mechanism, and parts of the Connecting Europe Facility. 

Meanwhile, EMFF will be soon replaced by the new European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), which the commission describes as an “ambitious support package” for the implementation of the common fisheries policy (CFP), the E.U.’s maritime policy, and its agenda for international ocean governance.

The EMFF unit of EASME will become the Sustainable Blue Economy Unit of CINEA, with funding opportunities expected to be published in the first-half of 2021.

EMFF has been the fund for the E.U.'s maritime and fisheries policies for the period of 2014 to 2020. Used to co-finance projects, along with national funding, each member state is allocated a share of the total fund budget, based on the size of its fishing industry. Each country then draws up an operational program, which states how it intends to spend the money. Once the commission approves this program, it is up to the national authorities to decide which projects will be funded.

Historically, the fund has helped fishermen in the transition to sustainable fishing, supported sustainable aquaculture developments, and aided coastal communities in diversifying their economies.

Photo courtesy of INEA Executive Agency