On 15 April 2026, the Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment organises a policy/networking event to highlight the Water Framework Directive’s strategic importance for the EU’s recreational fisheries sector.
All interested stakeholders and policy makers are welcome!
“Casting for living waters” – the Water Framework’s Directive strategic importance for the EU’s recreational fisheries sector
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About the event
The European Commission announced in its ResourceEU Action Plan (December 2025) to “review and revise the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Q2 of 2026…paying particular attention to simplification…to promote circularity and access to critical raw materials in the EU”.
The Water Framework Directive is a cornerstone of EU environmental law. The directive aims at achieving good status of European rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, groundwater, and transitional and coastal waters. They are the very environments on which fish populations (and thus the angling experience) depends.
The WFD has driven efforts to:
- reduce pollution
- restore river continuity; and
- improve the ecological status of Europe’s waters.
For the EU’s angling community, the link is clear, clean water means healthy fish, restored river connectivity means successful fish migration and strong environmental standards mean sustainable angling opportunities for future generations.
In this respect, the European Recreational Fisheries sector call for a strong, strict and full implementation of the Water Framework Directive – rather than a revision.
Further information
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organisation team:
The Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment invites all MEPs, parliamentary assistants, and relevant stakeholders. This to engage with representatives from the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) and the European Fishing Tackle and Trade Association (EFTTA).
The European Parliament Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment is supported by the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) and the European Fishing and Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) and serves as an informal discussion group in the European Parliament aiming at establishing a direct connection between MEPs and more largely the EU institutions and the recreational fishing community.
