FEAP: 2040 Vision lacks production targets and timetable, permitting still takes 5 to 8 years

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) welcomes the 2040 Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision adopted by the European Commission on 20 October 2026, but points out that the strategy lacks production targets, milestones and dedicated funding. In a press release, FEAP President Anna Pech said the Commission now acknowledges what producers have said for years: demand and environmental performance are not the problem, rules are; but the strategy is a starting point, not an outcome, and member companies will judge the vision by the time it takes to obtain a permit for a new farm, which currently remains 5 to 8 years.

For producers, the most critical announcement in the vision is that the European Commission will, by the end of 2027, propose a simplified, coherent regulatory and administrative framework with a flexible, adaptable permitting system. This responds to FEAP's long-standing call for a dedicated legislative instrument. FEAP said the value of the proposal depends on whether it is binding on member states, whether it shortens permitting times in practice, and whether it gives food production and environmental protection equal weight.

The vision proposes that by 2040 EU aquaculture will be a "strategic and fully integrated pillar of the EU's sustainable food system", expanding production capacity and reducing the EU seafood trade deficit. Currently, EU aquaculture and capture production cover only 38% of EU consumption.

FEAP also welcomes the vision's recognition of the conditions needed for sustainable growth, including economic profitability and fair income, a level playing field for EU producers, consumer trust, reduced dependence on imported inputs, climate adaptation and innovation. The vision treats small-scale farms and large companies as complementary, with the latter driving efficiency, innovation and production capacity.

On space, the vision lists food production as a strategic priority use of marine space, "especially as land-based food production faces growing constraints", and calls for aquaculture to be fully integrated into marine spatial planning by 2040. FEAP particularly welcomes the explicit inclusion of inland aquaculture: freshwater farms will be supported through integrated spatial and water planning, aligned with river basin management plans and, where relevant, with flood risk management plans and Natura 2000 objectives. FEAP had previously warned that the European Ocean Pact overlooked freshwater aquaculture; now carp ponds and other inland farms have a place in the EU's long-term vision.

FEAP also welcomes the Commission's commitment to consider extending mandatory consumer information to processed and preserved seafood products. The federation said products such as canned or marinated fish, ready meals and caviar currently do not have to tell consumers where and how the fish was produced, making EU-farmed fish hard to distinguish from imports. FEAP has long called for this gap to be filled.

The vision also announces the launch in 2027 of an "EU Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative" to coordinate sustainable growth of EU production. It encourages member states to strengthen links between aquaculture, capture fisheries and agriculture, support producer organisations and value chain integration, and include aquaculture-specific measures in national climate adaptation plans, as farms are suffering increasing losses from harmful algal blooms, jellyfish and parasites. The vision also supports rewarding nature-friendly aquaculture, including through nature credit mechanisms, and calls for strengthened professional training in aquatic animal health and welfare and innovative farming methods.

FEAP also points to several omissions in the vision. The vision commits to expanding EU aquaculture but sets no quantitative growth targets: no 2040 EU production target, no national contributions and no milestones. FEAP said the vision's growth examples focus on low-trophic species such as molluscs and seaweed, while finfish farming, which the federation considers essential to replacing imports such as rainbow trout or sea bass, receives little dedicated attention. FEAP argues that for fed species, what matters is the feed source, not the trophic level of the fish.

The federation also wants the vision to recognise what it describes as the low environmental impact and climate footprint of existing aquaculture, especially finfish farming. It said further EU rules on farmed fish welfare must be science-based, species-specific and compatible with farm viability. The budget proposal earmarks EUR 2 billion for "core fisheries policy" functions, an amount FEAP considers insufficient, with no dedicated allocation for aquaculture.

FEAP Secretary-General Javier Ojeda said the next step is to add numbers and dates to the vision; setting a binding EU target for finfish production by 2040 with accompanying milestones would turn the ambition into a plan that member states and investors can act on, and the 2027 proposal is where those targets should be set. He said funding helps, but only regulatory change can unlock growth and competitiveness; the vision invites member states and regions to translate it into local reality, and success will be decided farm by farm and document by document.