Brussels, July 8, 2026 (Lusa) - The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Portugal for failing to fulfil its EU obligations regarding the monitoring of fishing activities, giving the country two months to rectify the shortcomings.
As part of the infringement proceedings announced in July, Brussels announced in a statement on Wednesday that it had initiated infringement proceedings, sending letters of formal notice to Portugal and Italy for failing to comply with their obligations under the EU fisheries control regulation, thereby demanding the “rectification of the shortcomings identified in the national systems”.
According to Brussels, Portugal should have implemented, by December 2013, a system for the automatic cross-checking, analysis and verification of fishing activity data, including an electronic database designed to validate this information.
However, the European Commission said that Portugal had “repeatedly delayed the development” of this system, a situation which prevents the identification and investigation of inconsistencies or errors in the data used for fisheries control.
In the commission's view, these prolonged shortcomings undermine the effectiveness of monitoring and may compromise a level playing field between operators in the fisheries sector across the different member states.
In addition to Portugal, the European Commission has launched a similar procedure against Italy, identifying several outstanding measures.
Portugal and Italy now have two months to address the concerns raised and rectify the identified shortcomings.
Should the responses be deemed insufficient, Brussels may proceed to the next stage of the proceedings by issuing a reasoned opinion and may subsequently refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The European Commission emphasises that effective fisheries control systems are essential to ensure compliance with EU rules, protect marine resources, and promote fair competition in the European market.
ANE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
