ECR MEP Piotr Müller has asked the European Commission to assess and mitigate the risk that the EU CATCH regulation's transition period, ending on 10 July 2026, will disrupt wild Pacific salmon supplies to EU fish processors. In a priority written question submitted on 16 June 2026, Müller warned that the six-month transition period ends in the middle of the short fishing season, and that the end of simplified US-EU administrative arrangements could block legal catches from reaching Europe, hitting processors, workers, and consumers.
whether the Commission has analysed the impact on supply, jobs, and consumer prices; whether it envisages urgent measures to prevent disruptions, especially for aggregated-catch fisheries; and whether it is considering extending the transition period beyond 10 July 2026. The MEP stressed that the issue is not about illegal fishing but about administrative bottlenecks under the new catch certification system.
The question signals a concern that the EU's push for traceability under the CATCH regulation may inadvertently harm the competitiveness of the processing industry and raise consumer prices, pitting regulatory enforcement against supply continuity. The Commission is expected to reply within six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it is open to extending the transition or introducing emergency measures.
EU fish processors face potential raw material shortages and higher costs if supplies are disrupted; EU consumers may see higher prices for salmon products; US exporters must adapt to new documentation; and EU regulators must balance enforcement with economic continuity.