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Regional Work Plans (RWPs) 2025-2027: A Major Step Forward in Fisheries Data Collection

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The acceptance and publication of the Regional Work Plans (RWPs) for 2025-2027 represent a major development in data collection in fisheries and aquaculture. The RWPs promote cooperation among countries to harmonize data collection, ensuring best quality assessments and the sustainable management of fish stocks. By setting clear rules for data collection, management and use of data, these plans represent a cornerstone for the scientific advice towards the sustainable management of fisheries and marine ecosystems.

For the period 2025-2027 six RWPs have been endorsed, these are: RWP Baltic; RWP on Economic Issues; RWP Long Distance Fisheries; RWP Large Pelagics; RWP Mediterranean & Black Sea; and RWP North Atlantic, North Sea and Eastern Artic.

1. Definition and Importance of RWPs

RWPs are frameworks designed to manage the collection of fisheries data and coordinate efforts across multiple EU Member States (MS) in a region. For the 2025-2027 period, these RWPs are legally binding for the first time, making them enforceable across all participating MS through their National Work Plans. This shift ensures that agreed-upon guidelines are followed, strengthening regional cooperation in fisheries data collection and enhancing data quality.

2. Development and Coordination of RWPs

The RWPs are designed and coordinated within the Regional Coordination Groups (RCGs). RCGs are responsible for drafting, reviewing, and finalizing the RWPs, ensuring they reflect the collective goals and priorities of all participating MS. Once finalized, the RWPs will guide regional actions, supplementing national work plans (NWPs) and guarantee that all efforts are aligned with national strategies for a more unified approach for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector.

The development of the RWPs has been a participatory process, initiated by the EMFF grants FISHN´CO and STREAMLINE. The process included consultation with National Correspondents (NCs), Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and the EU Commission. After several RWPs tests runs, followed by the evaluations by the Scientific, Technical, Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), in October 2024 the RWPs 2025-2027 have seen the light.

3. Scope: Data Collection, Surveys, and Cost-Sharing

RWPs provide standardized guidelines for collecting data on fish populations, fishing and fisheries economic activities, and related environmental data. Joint research surveys are a major component of these plans, coordinating efforts across countries to gather reliable data and improve efficiency.

Cost-sharing arrangements are also part of the RWPs, allowing MS to share the financial burden of joint activities, such as research surveys. All for guaranteeing that resources are used more efficiently, benefiting all participating countries while reducing overall costs.

4. Legal Significance and Next Steps

The 2025-2027 RWPs are agreed to feed into the National Work Plans and through them their provisions become legally binding and ensures that all participating countries must comply with the plans, leading to stronger regional cooperation and better enforcement of sustainable practices.

The RWPs have been submitted to the European Commission and are publicly accessible at https://dcf.ec.europa.eu/wps-and-ars/work-plans_en.

The publication of the RWPs for 2025-2027 marks a pivotal milestone in European fisheries data collection. By fostering greater regional cooperation, streamlining data collection, and, through that, ensuring best quality data feeding into fisheries assessments and management. These plans will play a critical role in safeguarding marine ecosystems while supporting the long-term viability of the fishing industry. Ensuring a real regional coordination for the next multiannual programmes for the collection and management of biological environmental, technical and socioeconomic data in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.