Fishing vessel engine power - new Commission guidance for monitoring and control

The European Commission has published two technical guidance documents to support EU countries in improving their systems for monitoring and controlling the engine power of fishing vessels.   

Engine power of fishing vessels is one of the measures used to control fishing effort and to determine the size of European fishing fleets, in order to ensure the sustainable management of marine resources. Reliable registered power values are crucial for effective fishing effort management. 

Both guidance documents address shortcomings identified in the 2019 Commission study on engine power verification and also respond to EU countries’ requests for technical support.    

They aim to foster sustainable fishing practices and provide support to EU countries for the upcoming implementation of the new continuous engine power monitoring systems, which will become mandatory in January 2028 following the revision of the fisheries Control Regulation.  

Both guidance documents have been developed with the help of EU countries’ experts in the field of engine power certification and verification, as well as other external experts and relevant stakeholders.  

Why is engine power important? 

Under the EU’s common fisheries policy (CFP), the engine power (kW) of a fishing vessel is a key metric for ensuring the sustainable management of fish stocks. Accurate data on engine power allows to regulate the size of the European fishing fleet, for which the CFP sets specific ceilings for each EU country. 

In other words, by accurately declaring, registering and controlling engine power, EU countries crucially contribute to: 

• Manage the capacity and effort of EU fishing vessels.
• Protect vulnerable marine ecosystems and fish stocks from overfishing caused by using excessive power.
• Ensure a level playing field for all fishers across the EU by applying harmonised requirements. 

What does this guidance include? 

The two new documents provide the following specific technical advice: 

• Technical guidance for the monitoring, certification and verification of engine power in EU fisheries control 

This document will help EU countries setting up harmonised systems for monitoring, certifying and verifying the engine power of catching vessels, as required by the EU fisheries Control Regulation.  

• Technical specifications and guidance for the implementation of devices for the continuous monitoring of catching vessels’ engine power   

The EU fisheries Control Regulation requires the continuous monitoring of engine power for certain categories of high-risk catching vessels as of 10 January 2028. This document will provide EU countries with technical specifications to prepare for a successful and timely rollout. 

Next steps  

The Commission has invited EU countries to use both guidance documents when implementing the fisheries Control Regulation. It has also invited EU countries to report to the Commission any implementation issues they encounter, providing input for potential follow-up actions and knowledge-sharing within the technical working group.  

More information  

EU fisheries control system  

Study on engine power verification by Member States, Final report

Technical guidance for the monitoring, certification and verification of engine power in EU fisheries control 

Technical specifications and guidance for the implementation of devices for the continuous monitoring of catching vessels’ engine power