SUBSIDIES

QUESTIONS POSED BY INDIA REGARDING THE EUROPEAN UNION'S[1]

NEW AND FULL SUBSIDY NOTIFICATION

The following communication, dated and received on 27 October 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of India.

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Question 1

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) appears to provide significant financial support (EUR 6.1 billion for 2021–2027). Could the EU clarify how it ensures that these subsidies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to increasing fishing capacity or effort?

Question 2

How does the EU verify that Member States' national EMFAF programmes are consistent with the sustainability objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)?

Question 3

Could the EU clarify the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms in place to ensure that EMFAF funds are not granted to entities engaged in IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing?

Question 4

The EMFAF provides funding to a wide range of beneficiaries, including fishers, aquaculture operators, and processing firms. Could the EU specify what proportion of total funding is directed to capture fisheries as opposed to aquaculture or processing sectors?

Question 5

Given that EMFAF provides structural support to the fisheries sector, how does the EU ensure that none of its measures fall under prohibited subsidies related to overfished stocks or IUU fishing under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies?

Question 6

Could the EU clarify whether any EMFAF-funded projects are linked to activities in waters beyond EU jurisdiction, such as in third-country EEZs or the high seas?

Question 7

Since the EMFAF aims to ensure the socioeconomic viability of small-scale coastal fisheries, what criteria are used to define "small-scale" and how is funding differentiated between small and large operators?

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