European Fisheries Funds – new call for applications

Starting from July 7, 2025, applications for funding under Measure 1.9 Control and enforcement of the common fisheries policy regulations can be submitted. This time, European fisheries funds will be available to shipowners – owners of fishing vessels used for commercial fisheries. What types of investments will be eligible for support, and what are the rules of the call?

What kind of support can fishing vessel owners apply for?

Shipowners will be able to obtain funds for the purchase, installation, or modernization of systems for tracking commercial fishing vessels and electronically monitoring their activities. These systems help ensure the legality of fishing activities and improve safety at sea. The total amount of funds available in this call is PLN 6.4 million.

Measure 1.9 provides reimbursement of eligible costs. This means that shipowners must first invest in the purchase, installation, or modernization in accordance with the rules of the call, and only then will they receive funds from the program. The maximum reimbursement is 85% of eligible costs.

Project selection criteria under Measure 1.9

Funding under Measure 1.9 of the European Fisheries Funds is intended for owners of fishing vessels used for commercial fisheries.

The primary selection criterion will be the number of points awarded to shipowners:

• 5 points for fulfilling the condition: the shipowner participating in the operation holds a special fishing permit that allows fishing for species subject to catch quotas;
• 5 points for fulfilling the condition: the operation includes modernization of the fishing vessel for control purposes beyond the requirements of applicable legal regulations;
• 10 points for fulfilling the condition: the operation includes the purchase and installation on the fishing vessel of the necessary elements of mandatory vessel tracking and electronic reporting systems used for control purposes, and management of these elements.

To be considered, an application must receive a minimum of 10 points.

More information, including a list of required documents and additional criteria, can be found on the page for Measure 1.9 Control and enforcement of the common fisheries policy regulations.

How and when to submit a funding application?

The call for applications under the European Fisheries Funds program, Measure 1.9 Control and enforcement of the common fisheries policy regulations, begins on July 7, 2025. Shipowners must submit documents electronically via the WOD2021 application on the website wod.cst2021.gov.pl.

The application deadline is July 21, 2025. The call is conducted by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARiMR). The results will be announced no later than six months after this date.

European Fisheries Funds – about the program

The European Fisheries Funds is a program planned for the years 2021–2027. Its objectives are defined in four priorities:

1. Supporting sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic living resources;
2. Supporting sustainable aquaculture and the processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products, contributing to food security in the Union;
3. Promoting a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island, and inland areas, and supporting the development of fisheries communities and the aquaculture sector;
4. Strengthening international ocean governance and contributing to the safety, cleanliness, protection, and sustainable management of the seas and oceans.

Calls for applications will be conducted until 2027. Further rounds are planned in the coming months, targeting, among others, enterprises in the fisheries sector, public institutions, and research units. The funds come from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, with a total allocation of EUR 732 million.