On 11 May 2026, the European Parliament published amendments to the draft report on the impact of the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Directive on fisheries. The four amendments, tabled by the ESN group, aim to rebalance the directive's implementation away from an exclusive focus on environmental restoration and renewable energy expansion, asserting the primacy of food sovereignty, coastal employment, and traditional fishing activities.
The amendments introduce three substantive changes. Amendment 3 conditions the legally binding target of restoring 20% of EU sea area by 2030 on respect for the principle of proportionality, stipulating that implementation must not compromise food sovereignty, coastal employment, and traditional fishing activities. Amendment 5 strengthens the call for clear spatial zoning by adding the recognition of traditional fishing and aquaculture zones as a core objective, elevating existing fishing grounds from a factor to be considered to a priority zone. Amendment 6 expands the rationale for revising the MSP Directive, explicitly calling for streamlining overlapping regulations and aligning the directive with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, signalling a desire to reduce regulatory burden for the fishing industry.
Only the ESN group submitted amendments, limiting direct comparison of group positions. The ESN amendments diverge from the likely positions of S&D, Greens/EFA, and Renew Europe, which generally support ambitious environmental targets and rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy. The ESN's focus on protecting traditional fishing zones and demanding proportionality aligns more closely with the priorities of the ECR group and some conservative MEPs, who often advocate for balancing environmental goals with economic and social impacts on coastal communities. The absence of amendments from other groups suggests either broad satisfaction with the draft report's balance or a strategic decision to negotiate without formal textual changes at this stage.
The amendments would benefit the fishing industry and coastal communities by protecting traditional fishing zones and reducing regulatory burden. However, they could slow the expansion of offshore wind energy and the designation of Marine Protected Areas, potentially affecting renewable energy developers and environmental NGOs. EU regulatory bodies would face increased complexity in balancing competing objectives. The amendments introduce a trade-off between environmental restoration and renewable energy targets on one hand, and food sovereignty and coastal employment on the other.
The next steps involve consideration of the amendments by the responsible committee, followed by a plenary vote. The Council will then adopt its position, leading to trilogue negotiations.
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