The E.U. Seafood Alliance, a group of leading organizations representing fisheries and aquaculture in the bloc, have continued their push to establish a Blue Foods Action Plan in the E.U.
The alliance – composed of representatives from Europêche; the European Association of Fish Producer Organizations (EAPO); the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP); and Seafood Europe, formerly known as the E.U. Fish Processors and Traders Association (AIPCE-CEP) – is calling on the European Commission to establish an action plan for blue foods by 2026.
A delegation of the alliance, along with representatives from the European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD), said they recently met with Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto to discuss the issue.
“The organizations reiterated their shared call for the development of an E.U. Action Plan for Blue Foods, building on the momentum generated by the recent Ocean Pact,” the organizations said in a release.
The E.U. adopted its Ocean Pact in June 2025, which contains a set of priorities including improving ocean health and boosting the competitiveness of the blue economy in Europe. The E.U. Seafood Alliance said they emphasized to Fitto that fisheries and aquaculture should be recognized as “strategic sectors within the E.U.’s food systems framework.”
“The Commission linked agriculture and food in its Vision for Food and Agriculture 2040; the same ambition must now be applied to fisheries and aquaculture through a Blue Food Action Plan embedded in the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040,” the group said.
The groups said an action plan should include provisions to promote competitiveness through simplifying administrative procedures, emphasize attracting younger people to the sectors through investment in modernization, and position blue foods as an essential part of Europe’s food security and climate goals.
“EBCD and the E.U. Seafood Alliance agreed that many challenges could be unlocked through a comprehensive E.U. Action Plan on Blue Foods, which would support innovation, research, investment, and the decarbonisation of the seafood value chain,” the groups said.
