European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027

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Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 16:39

EU-wide funding program supporting innovative projects for sustainable maritime and fisheries resources, including marine litter removal, ghost gear collection, and circular economy initiatives. Budget: EUR 6.108 billion. NGOs, authorities, and companies eligible. Apply through national managing authorities.

Source: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-investment/emfaf_en

Funding Details

Funder: European Commission - DG MARE
Funding Goal: Support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine biodiversity protection, marine litter removal (including ghost gear), circular economy initiatives, coastal community development, and innovation in the blue economy across EU member states through national programmes and direct EU grants.
Funding Amount: Total budget EUR 6.108 billion (2021-2027): EUR 5.311 billion via shared management through national programmes; EUR 797 million via direct management by European Commission
Deadline: Rolling basis - ongoing calls under national programmes; specific direct management calls have individual deadlines (Rolling)
How to Apply: For shared management: contact national EMFAF managing authority in your country (list at https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-investment/emfaf/list-emfaf-national-authorities_en). For direct management: apply via EU Funding & Tenders portal for specific calls.
Target Region: European Union - all member states; some direct management calls may be international
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 02:07

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Eligibility and co-financing rates vary by EU member state national programme

Project Scope

Projects must align with EMFAF Regulation objectives: sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine biodiversity, or coastal communities
Ghost gear collection, marine litter, and circular economy are explicitly eligible

Required Documents

For shared management: check national EMFAF managing authority for open calls in your country
For direct management: apply via EU Funding & Tenders portal; watch for specific calls

Constraints

Co-financing required; rates depend on project type and member state

Summary

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is the EU's principal instrument for supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime activities across all member states for the period 2021-2027. With a total budget of EUR 6.108 billion, it is one of the largest dedicated funding streams for ocean-related activities in Europe. The programme's thematic scope covers sustainable and low-carbon fishing transitions, marine biodiversity and ecosystem protection, seafood quality and food security, socio-economic revitalisation of coastal communities, aquaculture development, skills and working conditions in fishing sectors, innovation in the blue economy, maritime security, and international ocean governance cooperation. Eligible activities include capital investments in fishing vessels (e.g., fuel-efficient gear), collection and recycling of marine litter and ghost gear, infrastructure for small-scale coastal fisheries, innovation pilots, data collection, monitoring, and capacity building for coastal communities. The fund explicitly supports circular economy approaches including marine litter removal and ghost gear recovery. The geographic scope is all EU member states, with each country managing its own national EMFAF programme. Some direct management calls may be open to non-EU partners in international cooperation contexts. Eligible applicants vary by strand: national programmes are channelled through managing authorities to fishers, aquaculture producers, NGOs, coastal municipalities, cooperatives, and research bodies. Direct management calls can be open to international organisations and consortia. Budget is split between shared management (EUR 5.311 billion through national programmes) and direct EU management (EUR 797 million). Co-financing rates vary by member state and project type. Application is via national managing authorities for shared management or EU Funding & Tenders portal for direct management calls.

Historical Context

EMFAF is the successor to EMFF (2014-2020). It entered into force on 14 July 2021 and runs through 2027. The fund supports EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), maritime policy, and international ocean governance agenda.

Sources

https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/funding-and-investment/emfaf_en

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