The European Union Seafood Alliance (EUSeA), bringing together EAPO, Europêche, FEAP and Seafood Europe, regrets that fisheries, aquaculture and seafood were not mentioned in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union address, despite its focus on food security and climate resilience.
In her address, President von der Leyen highlighted water and food security, stressing the importance of water for Europe’s agriculture and livestock sectors and reaffirming the Commission’s support for European farmers. She also underlined the need to reduce administrative burdens and accelerate action where regulation is holding businesses back.
For EUSeA, the same priorities must apply to the seafood supply chain.
European fishers, aquaculture producers and the processing sector are an essential part of Europe’s food system, providing nutritious food, supporting coastal communities and jobs and contributing to the resilience of European food supply chains.
“Europe cannot talk about food security and resilience while leaving fisheries and aquaculture out of the conversation. The message from this State of the Union must now be turned into action. Our sector needs a policy framework that allows it to produce, invest and remain competitive,” said the Alliance.
The Commission has repeatedly highlighted resilience, strategic autonomy and simplification as priorities. The next step must be to deliver them also for Europe’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The EUSeA therefore calls on the European Commission to use the forthcoming Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040 to deliver an EU Action Plan for Blue Foods and the policy changes the sector has been calling for, including:
- a revision of the Common Fisheries Policy;
- genuine simplification and reduced administrative burdens;
- adequate and predictable funding for investment, innovation and generational renewal;
- full recognition of fisheries, aquaculture and seafood in EU food security and protein strategies.
The EUSeA stands ready to work with the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States to ensure that the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040 delivers a stronger and more resilient future for Europe’s aquatic food sector.
Contact EAPO:
Pauline Stephan, Policy Officer
Contact Europêche:
Daniel Voces, Managing Director
Contact FEAP:
Javier Ojeda, General Secretary
Contact Seafood Europe:
Katarina Sipic, Secretary General
About EAPO, Europêche, FEAP and Seafood Europe:
EAPO, Europêche, FEAP and Seafood Europe represent key parts of the European fisheries, aquaculture, seafood processing and trading value chain. Together, they work to promote responsible seafood production and trade, support resilient coastal and food systems, and advocate for policies that strengthen sustainable growth, food security and competitiveness across the European seafood sector.
