On behalf of the European Union, the European Council has adopted the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which includes substantial limitations on subsidising unsustainable fishing.
This first WTO agreement to focus on environmental sustainability, in line with UN sustainable development goal (SDG) 14.6, includes the prohibition of subsidies to illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing as well as fishing outside of the jurisdiction of a coastal state and outside the competence of a relevant regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs).
It also incorporates transparency and notification provisions to monitor the implementation of the agreement.
Consensus on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was reached at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference that took place 12-17 June 2022 in Geneva. It will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO members have completed their domestic ratification processes.
