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

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Government Grant Global Blue Economy Fisheries Marine Conservation Pollution Waste Management
Funder: European Environment & Health Process
EU-implemented partly through direct management with centralised calls for proposals on maritime biodiversity, marine litter reduction and sustainable blue economy. Relevant for ghost gear retrieval, circular handling of fishing gear, and port reception facilities. NGOs can be partners in transnational projects.

Source: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/european-maritime-fisheries-and-aquaculture-fund_en

Funding Details

Funder
European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)
Funding Goal
Support for the sustainable blue economy, Common Fisheries Policy implementation, and EU international ocean governance through direct management calls for proposals addressing marine biodiversity, marine litter reduction, sustainable fisheries, ghost gear retrieval, circular handling of fishing gear, port reception facilities, aquaculture, and maritime spatial planning.
Funding Amount
Varies by call; individual project grants range from hundreds of thousands to several million EUR depending on topic
Deadline
Rolling basis; individual calls have specific deadlines listed at cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals (periodic)
How to Apply
Applications submitted via EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders). Each call has specific submission requirements published on the CINEA website. Calls listed at: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals_en?f[0]=programme_sectors_programme_sectors:4
Target Region
European Union Member States; some calls open to associated countries and third countries for international ocean governance components
Contact
CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency). Calls FAQ at: ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/faq
Last Checked
2026-05-07 01:45

Application Checklist

Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints

Summary

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027 is managed by CINEA and supports the EU Green Deal and sustainable blue economy through direct management calls for proposals at EU level. These centralised calls address topics including marine biodiversity conservation, marine litter reduction, ghost gear retrieval, circular handling of fishing gear, port waste reception facilities, sustainable aquaculture, and international ocean governance. The thematic scope covers Common Fisheries Policy implementation, the EU international ocean governance agenda, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries certification, and transitioning to low-emission fishing fleets. Calls focus on demonstrating, piloting, or scaling innovative solutions that cannot be adequately addressed at Member State level. Eligible activities include applied research, pilot demonstrations, capacity building, transnational cooperation, data collection, and monitoring of marine environments. Applicants include NGOs, research institutions, industry associations, Member State authorities, and international organisations. NGOs are explicitly eligible for partnership roles in transnational projects addressing marine litter, biodiversity, and sustainability topics. Geographically, most calls cover EU Member States. Some calls related to international ocean governance and third-country fisheries agreements extend to non-EU countries. The fund has a particular focus on EU sea basins including the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Black Sea. Funding is provided as action grants with co-financing requirements. Individual project grants vary from EUR hundreds of thousands to several million depending on the call topic. Calls are listed continuously on the CINEA website and EU Funding and Tenders Portal, with deadlines varying by topic.

Historical Context

EMFAF (2021-2027) succeeded the EMFF (2014-2020). The fund has both shared management (national level through Member States) and direct management (EU level through CINEA) components. The direct management calls are centralised and internationally competitive.

Sources

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