Third countries urged to adopt the EU fisheries digital control system

Fisheries ministers reiterated the importance of protecting the EU from imports of illegally caught fish, calling on third countries to adopt the digital catch certification system, which will become compulsory for EU national authorities in 2026.

The European Commission wants to propose the digital catch certificates (CATCH) – which are designed to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and will become mandatory in the EU from 2026 – to non-European trading partners.

The EU fisheries ministers, meeting at the Agrifish Council on Monday (26 February), supported the initiative.

The Greek Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Efthymios Costopoulos said he was pleased to be able to “play on a level playing field with member countries”, reminding that it is “important to play on a level playing field with third countries” as well.

The fight against illegal fishing is a priority for the EU, which was endorsed at the United Nations General Assembly, and included in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Illegal fishing is the main threat to the environment, fishermen and coastal communities,” Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, said at the meeting.

According to a recent study by Global Fishing Watch, 20% of vessels that fish on the high seas are probably unregulated or unauthorised, some of which use fishing techniques which are destructive to fish stocks and marine ecosystems.

As the world’s largest importer of seafood products, the EU must have “zero tolerance” for IUU fishing, the Commissioner continued, and must do everything in its power not to encourage these practices.

CATCH system

To prevent imports from illegal fishing, the EU requires all catches entering the EU market to have a certificate.

This catch certificate, introduced in 2010 and enshrined in the regulation on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, became digital in 2019. It is now linked to a platform called CATCH. But until now, this certificate was not compulsory.

A 2022 report by the European Court of Auditors found that the system was “flawed” and little used by EU countries.

On 20 December 2023, the new fisheries control regulation makes the system compulsory from 10 January 2026. The system will make it easier to detect fraudulent certificates, take risk management measures and harmonise control procedures.

“During this transition period of the necessary adjustment procedure, I am asking the authorities to provide sufficient resources to ensure a smooth transition to this electronic system,” emphasised Sinkevicius.

The compulsory system is also being promoted by environmental associations to prevent the influx of illegal catches into the EU and thus “guarantee legal and sustainable supply chains”.

Third countries

Coastal member states have assured the Commission that they are already working on setting up the CATCH system to be ready in time, and are looking forward to harmonising controls to combat fraud. Some countries, such as Spain, already have such a system in place.

“In our view, the system must be fully used by third countries. This is the only way that certification of fisheries products will be properly implemented,” explained Costopoulos, supported by the Irish minister.

“There must be immediate promotion of the systems” for third countries to ensure fair competition, insisted the Cypriot minister, Maria Panayioiu.

In the new regulation, the Commission already provides for the promotion of the system to partners outside the EU and gives them partial access to CATCH functionalities.

The EU is already identifying third countries that are not cooperating in the fight against illegal fishing. ‘Yellow’ and ‘red cards’ are issued to vessels engaged in illegal practices, leading to restrictions on fish products imports from their countries.

For the EU’s Court of Auditors, it is “useful” for the EU to encourage partner countries to combat IUU fishing, as this provides “the necessary impetus for concrete reforms”.

According to a WWF report, more than 90 non-EU countries have notified the European Commission that they have the necessary legal instruments, dedicated procedures and appropriate administrative structures in place to certify catches from vessels flying their flag.

Commission, MEPs call on members states to act jointly on fishing bans

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[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro/Nathalie Weatherald]

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