EFFOP attends High-Level Conference on the Energy Transition of EU Fisheries and Aquaculture

On 17 February 2026 EFFOP attended the High-Level Conference Navigating Change: Towards the Energy Transition in the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture in Brussels. The event was organised by the European Commission in the framework of the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP). The aim was to present and discuss the Partnership’s inputs on the future Energy Transition Roadmap for the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector.

The conference gathered high-level representatives from EU institutions and Member States, including Costas Kadis, EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, and Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General of DG MARE. Ministerial representatives from the current and upcoming Presidencies of the Council of the EU also addressed the conference: Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus, and Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment of Ireland. Their interventions underlined the political importance of ensuring that the energy transition supports both sustainability and competitiveness in the sector.

The sessions covered discussions on innovation supporting the energy transition, recent studies on GHG emissions and reduction pathways, the development of the Energy Transition Roadmap for both fisheries and aquaculture, as well as discussions on integrated and local approaches to implementation.

The speakers addressed aging fleets, fuel renewal, infrastructure needs, skills and generational renewal, as well as the role of public and private finance. A recurring theme was that the solutions for energy transition must reflect the diversity of the sector and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.

Throughout a session discussing the integrated approach to the Energy Transition Roadmap it was underlined that the transition does not stop at sea, as the processing sector plays a central role in linking producers to markets and in improving efficiency across the value chain. It was emphasised that processing companies are already investing in upgrades, digitalisation, renewable energy solutions, and circular economy initiatives including the valorisation of by-products. At the same time, it was highlighted that the sector faces significant challenges with high upfront investment costs, tight margins, volatile energy prices. The message was therefore to ensure that the full value chain had access to green financing and risk-reducing investment frameworks to keep the transition economically viable.

The Energy Transition Roadmap is expected to be published during the first half of 2026. EFFOP will continue to engage actively in the process to ensure that marine ingredient producers are recognised as part of the solution in the EU’s energy transition of fisheries and aquaculture.

Please feel free to contact the secretariat if you wish to know more.