Request for longer implementation period and review of the CATCH system under the Fisheries Control Regulation

Question for written answer E-000538/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Carmen Crespo Díaz (PPE)

The new CATCH system for the oversight and certification of fishery products, part of efforts to combat IUU fishing, has been in operation since 10 January 2026 and is causing serious operational difficulties and imposing disproportionate administrative burden for operators, national authorities and fisheries-sector professionals.

Spain's General Council of Customs Agents has recognised significant shortcomings in the system, such as the practical impossibility of certifying catches from numerous vessels - especially those in the small-scale fleet - duplication of records, gaps in databases and interoperability problems with third countries, which necessitate complex manual data entry.

This is harming both the competitiveness of the sector and foreign trade, and compromising the proper oversight of fisheries.

With this in mind:

• 1.Does the Commission plan to entirely postpone, or introduce a transitional period for, the full implementation of the CATCH system until such time as these shortcomings have been reminded?
• 2.What specific measures will it take to simplify the system and ensure its proportionality and practical viability, especially for the artisanal fleet and operators?

Submitted: 10.2.2026