EU member states’ fisheries ministers reached a political agreement on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and other waters for 2026 on Sunday, 14 December. The deal sets out fishing catch limits, known as ‘total allowable catches’ and fishing effort limits for the most important commercial fish stocks.
The stocks covered by the two proposals are those the EU manages either on its own, jointly with neighbouring non-EU countries, or via agreements reached in regional fisheries management organisations.
Jacob Jensen, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, called the deal “a compromise with broad support among the member states, providing fishers with certainty about their fishing opportunities.” He added that “the deal strikes a balance between the scientific advice and protecting vulnerable fish stocks, while also ensuring the best possible conditions for a sustainable fisheries sector in the future.”
Overlapping interests with UK, Norway
Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, fish stocks jointly managed by the EU and the UK are considered shared resources under international law. In line with the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the parties hold annual talks to agree on catch limits and other measures for shared stocks. The political agreement integrates the outcome of the EU-UK deal into the main regulation for the Atlantic and North Sea.
The deal strikes a balance between the scientific advice and protecting vulnerable fish stocks, while also ensuring the best possible conditions for a sustainable fisheries sector. – Jacob Jensen, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
Trilateral consultations on shared stocks between the EU, the UK and Norway were also successfully concluded ahead of the Council meeting. The catch limits and other measures agreed for those stocks also form part of the overall political agreement reached by the Council.
For the Atlantic and the North Sea, the agreement covers 24 so-called total allowable catches (TACs) managed autonomously by the EU. Following positive scientific advice and the improved state of the stocks, ministers agreed to increase the catch limits for some stocks including megrims or Norway lobster in the Bay of Biscay.
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On the other hand, in line with scientific advice, ministers agreed to reduce catch limits for some other stocks. That includes provisional catch limits on mackerel in northeast Atlantic coastal areas states (minus 70 per cent).
