This Week in Fisheries — Brussels (#29, 2026)
Commission deductions for Italy and Spain; new import rules for fishery products; Agriculture and Fisheries Council prepares Baltic quotas; mutual AEO recognition with Türkiye.
October 12, 2026 to October 18, 2026
Commission deductions for Italy and Spain; new import rules for fishery products; Agriculture and Fisheries Council prepares Baltic quotas; mutual AEO recognition with Türkiye.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 🤝 EU Council
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Commission deductions from Italy's fishing effort for 2026
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2248, adopted on 12 October 2026, operates deductions from the fishing effort available to Italy in 2026 due to overfishing in the previous year. The deductions cover trawlers and beam trawlers targeting red mullet, European hake, deep-water rose shrimp, Norway lobster, and common sole in various Mediterranean subareas. Quantities to be deducted range from 0.7% to 12.7% of the maximum allowable fishing effort for the relevant fleet segments, applying multiplying factors as per Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. Italy was consulted in June and July 2026, requested to spread deductions over two years, but the Commission decided to apply them fully in 2026.
Commission deductions from Spain's fishing effort for 2026
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2249, issued 12 October 2026, establishes deductions from Spain’s fishing effort in 2026 for overfishing during 2025. Deductions apply to trawlers targeting red mullet, European hake, deep-water rose shrimp, Norway lobster, and blue and red shrimp in Mediterranean subareas. A dispute between Spain and the Commission regarding additional fishing days granted under compensation mechanisms in 2024 and 2025 resulted in formal consultations. The Commission determined Spain’s interpretation exceeded allowable fishing effort and applied deductions in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
New import authorisations for fishery products and aquaculture
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2228 of 14 October 2026 amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/405, updating lists of third countries and regions authorised for entry into the Union of consignments of certain animals and goods intended for human consumption. The amendments clarify distinctions between wild catch and aquaculture, limit authorisation for several countries, and expand Egypt’s authorisation to include finfish and crustaceans from aquaculture. Mozambique, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Tanzania are restricted to wild catch due to lack of compliance guarantees. The regulation revises Annex IX and other lists to ensure clarity and uniform application across Member States.
EU Council
Agriculture and Fisheries Council to set Baltic quotas
Agriculture and Fisheries Council will convene on 26 October 2026. Fisheries ministers aim to reach a political agreement on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027 and prepare the EU's position for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
