Project Pillars of the Sea

The project as a whole, consists in partially implementing the work programme of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Sea Fishing in order to significantly make progress in various key areas of interest for Social Partners. The main issues covered by the project are mainly dealing with how to improve health, working conditions and safety at sea of our fishermen.

In this context, the European Social Partners have produced three different studies with the aim to contribute to ameliorate EU legislation regarding training, safety, accommodation, business efficiency and free movement of workers which will ultimately offer to our fishermen a healthier working environment, better skills and decent work.

Pillar 1: Constitutes the aim to implement the STCW-F Convention in the EU through a Social Partners' Agreement, as the lack of a common standard for the training and certification of fishers in the EU is a safety risk.  

Pillar 2: Contains an analysis of the EU rule limiting increase in fishing capacity by imposing ceilings on gross tonnage and propulsion power. The outputs are a paper on the impact of the ceiling on working and living conditions and fishing vessel safety and productivity of the enterprises, as well as proposals and recommendations for possible solutions.

Pillar 3: Consist of a survey on the legislation in force in the EU regarding deck machinery. The results are recommendations for possible standardization of the rules in terms of commercialization, installation and safe use on board of fishing vessels.