The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) is a standing committee of the European Parliament. It is responsible for the Common Fisheries Policy, the conservation and management of marine biological resources, fisheries and aquaculture, the market in fishery and aquaculture products, and the European Union's international fisheries agreements.
The committee examines legislation affecting fishing fleets, coastal communities, seafood markets and marine ecosystems. Its work seeks to reconcile the environmental sustainability of fish stocks with the economic and social viability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
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Responsibilities
The committee is responsible for the operation, development and management of the Common Fisheries Policy. Its remit includes conservation measures, the management of fisheries and fishing fleets, marine and applied fisheries research, aquaculture, seafood markets and the financial instruments supporting the sector.
Its responsibilities include:
the operation and development of the Common Fisheries Policy;
the conservation of fishery resources and the sustainable management of fish stocks;
management of fishing fleets and measures affecting fishing capacity;
marine and applied fisheries research;
the common organisation of the market in fishery and aquaculture products;
processing, marketing, traceability and labelling of seafood products;
structural policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors;
implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund;
the integrated maritime policy insofar as it concerns fishing activities;
sustainable fisheries partnership agreements with non-EU countries;
relations with regional fisheries management organisations; and
implementation of international obligations in the field of fisheries.
The committee also scrutinises the European Commission and EU agencies involved in fisheries management, particularly the European Fisheries Control Agency.
Common Fisheries Policy
The Common Fisheries Policy provides the main legal framework for EU fisheries management. Its objectives include ensuring that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable over the long term while also producing economic, social and employment benefits and contributing to food supplies.
The committee plays a central role in legislation concerning fishing opportunities, technical conservation measures, control and enforcement, fisheries data, fleet policy and the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. It also considers the effects of climate change, invasive species, fuel prices, generational renewal and competition from imported seafood on the sector.
International fisheries policy
The European Union participates in regional fisheries management organisations and concludes sustainable fisheries partnership agreements with non-EU countries. These agreements provide EU vessels with regulated access to fisheries resources while including financial support for fisheries governance and development in partner countries.
PECH considers such agreements under the consent procedure and follows the EU's implementation of international fisheries obligations.
Chairs
The following table lists the chairs of the committee since 1997.
Members
10th Parliament, 2024–2029
The committee currently has 27 full members. Its current composition is shown below, with the chair and vice-chairs indicated in italics.
Research support
The committee is supported by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies. It provides studies, briefings and analyses on fisheries management, aquaculture, seafood markets, marine ecosystems, international fisheries agreements and the social and economic conditions of coastal communities.
Research prepared for the committee is published through the Parliament's supporting-analyses database and the European Parliament Think Tank.