On 10 August, the European Commission adopted harmonized rules for weighing fishery products across the EU. The new framework streamlines and simplifies procedures and reduces the administrative burden for member states and operators. It will apply from January 2027.
The new weighing rules were prepared through extensive consultation with Member States and stakeholders, to ensure they are practical, proportionate and fit for purpose.
Accurate weighing is crucial for effective fisheries control. It produces the reliable catch data needed to monitor quota uptake, assess the impact of fishing activities and check compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP). It also protects EU fishers from unfair competition.
Under the previous rules, Member States adopted 44 different plans and programmes to weigh catches, resulting in derogations with varying conditions across the Union.
In particular, the new rules
- set common procedures for weighing operations across the Union
- set minimum requirements for weighing systems and records
- establish minimum benchmarks for inspections of weighing procedures
- define the common content of sampling plans, control plans and common control programmes
- allow these plans and programmes to be adapted where specific circumstances justify it, while safeguarding the objectives of the fisheries control system
Together, these measures strengthen legal certainty for operators and national authorities and create a level playing field through the consistent application of the weighing rules across the EU.
Next steps
The new rules will apply from January 2027. Member States will have stronger tools to reinforce their national control systems and align their practices with common EU rules – improving the quality and comparability of fisheries data and supporting sustainable fisheries management.
Background
The common fisheries policy (CFP) sets rules to control what is fished by EU vessels and by vessels fishing in EU waters. These new measures follow the amendment of the fisheries Control Regulation which entered into force on 9 January 2024 to reflect technological advances and the need for more effective, risk-based control.
The previous detailed rules on weighing, set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011, are being replaced by the new implementing legislation, in line with the objectives of the fisheries control revision.
