The European Fisheries Fund and the EU Fish Processing Industry

Considering that the focus of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) was meant to be directed towards the fisheries and aquaculture primary sectors, the large amount of public money committed to fish processing and marketing under the EFF between 2007 and 2014 is a cause for concern for many EU policy makers. Yet, the EFF was aimed at supporting the sustainable development of the whole EU fisheries industry, of which fish processing is an important and often integrated component. In 2012, the EU fish processing sector generated almost twice the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the fishing fleet and five times that of aquaculture. Additionally, fish processing employed almost as many people as the fish catching sector and twofold as many as in the aquaculture industry. Although the amount of EFF money channelled into the fish processing sector in absolute terms is large compared to the fish catching and aquaculture sectors, in relative terms it is significantly lower. This study analysed the amount of EFF money averaged by unit of employment and unit of GVA. Overall the EU fish processing has received 54% less support per unit of employment and 70% less support per unit of Gross Value Added. At MS level, the aid per unit of GVA for processing and marketing has been higher only for Malta and per unit of employment only for Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Portugal.