The European Association of Producer Organisations (EAPO) will continue as an International Non-Profit Association from 1 January 2026.
The move is intended to strengthen cooperation with scientific bodies, authorities, civil society, and fishing organisations in Europe and beyond. The announcement was made as the current president’s three-year term comes to an end.
“As my term as president of EAPO comes to an end, after three years rich in challenges and opportunities, I am pleased to pass on the torch and a new and reconstructed EAPO,” President Esben Sverdrup-Jensen writes in a farewell editorial.
Leadership change and organisational shift
From 2026, the new legal status will allow EAPO to deepen cooperation across the fishing sector and related institutions. According to the outgoing president, this comes at a time of growing pressure on fisheries policy at both the EU and international levels.
“2025 has been particularly intense, both at European Union level and on the international stage,” he notes, pointing to an expanding policy agenda affecting fisheries and the marine environment.
Since the last general assembly, a new European Commission has taken office, triggering several new initiatives relevant to fisheries management and ocean governance.
European Ocean Pact and ocean governance
Among these initiatives is the European Ocean Pact, which aims to create a single reference framework for ocean-related policies. The Pact was unveiled at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and has drawn wide political attention.
The editorial stresses that the Pact must still be translated into binding law and warns of the dangers of unstable governance. “We must pursue our efforts to promote the reshaping of certain dysfunctional legislation currently in force,” Sverdrup-Jensen writes, referring to marine protection and maritime spatial planning.
UK access, energy transition and sector unity
On international relations, the editorial highlights the political agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, granting full reciprocal access to fishing waters until 30 June 2038. While seen as positive, concerns remain over UK management measures that could affect EU fleets.
In 2025, EAPO also strengthened its role within the EU Energy Transition Partnership for fisheries and aquaculture by coordinating the support group for the Large-Scale Fisheries Working Group. The organisation urges policies that back innovation without blocking progress.
The outgoing president closes by underlining the need for unity across the sector, writing that it is “necessary to stand united to promote and gain recognition for fishing as a sustainable and vital practice for Europe.”