About EMFAF

CINEA assists the European Commission and notably its Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) in developing and implementing the Union's Maritime policy (IMP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

These EU policies are supported by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). For the period 2021-2027, it has an overall budget of € 6.108 billion to promote a growth and job based recovery in Europe.

In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, the EMFAF provides an ambitious support package for the achievement of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the development of local coastal communities, the promotion of a sustainable blue economy, the implementation of the Union’s maritime policy towards safe and sustainably managed seas and oceans, and for international ocean governance.

The European Commission and Member States will also ensure that EMFAF contributes to the achievement of the overall climate and biodiversity targets established in the Multiannual Financial Framework.

The EMFAF is the continuation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) that ran from 2014 until 2020. 

The EMFAF supports the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and of the Union's maritime policy along four priorities:

• Fostering sustainable fisheries and the conservation of marine biological resources;
• Contributing to food security in the Union through competitive and sustainable aquaculture and markets;
• Enabling the growth of a sustainable blue economy and fostering prosperous coastal communities;
• Strengthening international ocean governance and enabling safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed seas and oceans.

In addition, the EMFAF supports voluntary contributions to international organisations and technical assistance.

The programme management is divided between shared management and direct management.  

• 87% (€5.311 billion) of the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund budget co-finances projects alongside national funding streams, with each Member State receiving a share of the total budget. Member States draw up their national operational programmes, specifying how they intend to invest the funds. Once approved by the Commission, national authorities decide which projects they wish to support (shared management);
• 13% (€797 million) of the budget is either managed directly (direct management) by the European Commission services or delegated to CINEA.

The majority of the EMFAF actions in direct management delegated to CINEA are targeted at supporting policy development by the European Commission and implemented by way of procurement (purchase of services) and grants (contribution to specific actions).

The EMFAF actions delegated to CINEA support the EU Green Deal by implementing initiatives in the field of the Union’s Maritime Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy, with a strong focus on Farm2Fork (inclunding sustainable fisheries and aquaculture), offshore renewable energy and EU biodiversity strategies, and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

Concretely, CINEA launches and manages open calls for proposals and calls for tenders, as well as ad hoc grants and service requests under framework contracts for studies, assistance mechanisms, innovative and cooperation projects, best practice sharing and awareness-raising campaigns, etc.

General information on the EMFAF actions delegated to CINEA can be found in the yearly EMFAF work programme published by the European Commission.