The EU informs that it has officially accepted, on behalf of its 27 member states, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

The EU's acceptance accelerates the entry into force of the agreement and contributes to achieving Target 14.6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The agreement on fisheries subsidies is essential to ensure that sustainable development is among the primary objectives of fisheries subsidies and to avoid the negative impact on oceans and fish stocks, which are crucial for the livelihoods of coastal communities worldwide.

Context

The agreement will enter into force once two-thirds of the 164 WTO members have completed the national ratification process. With the EU's acceptance (representing its 27 member states), the number of WTO members that have accepted the agreement has reached 34.

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the first multilateral trade agreement focused on sustainable development, was concluded during the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in June 2022. The agreement includes:

• Prohibition of government subsidies for illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.
• Prohibition of subsidies for unregulated fishing in high seas.
• Prohibition of subsidies for the most vulnerable stocks.
• Provisions to address the harmful practice of flag hopping, where fishing vessels change their flag to another jurisdiction.
• Detailed provisions on transparency and notification to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Additional information

• Fact sheet on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• WTO webpage on fisheries subsidies
• EU Common Fisheries Policy - Oceans and Fisheries
• EU and WTO
• MC12 outcomes