The EU and Madagascar are due to start negotiations for the next protocol of the EU-Madagascar Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA). In a joint position, 9 civil society organisations (CSOs), including local Malagasy, regional, pan-African and European organisations, ask both parties to build a “truly fair, equitable, sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership” which should be “built on shared responsibility and transparent governance”. In their view, to be credible, the partnership must “above all respect the priorities set by the Malagasy Government” and ensure the effective participation of fishing communities.
The EU-Madagascar SFPA was signed in 2023 and its current protocol runs until June 2027. With a total contribution of 1,8 Million euro per year, 1,1 Million were earmarked for sectoral support.
The evaluation of the 2023-2027 protocol did identify the lack of “monitoring indicators to assess the benefits of these interventions for the communities concerned”.
The CSOs recognise significant progress in the SFPA’s governance, particularly the growing recognition of CSOs from observer status during the 2023 negotiations to active participation in a Joint Committee meeting in 2025. They also commend the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries for their will to increase transparency in fisheries, notably through its commitment with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI).
The joint position identifies several recommendations for the negotiations, putting a strong emphasis on civil society and small-scale fisheries’ participation. It also calls for tangible results of projects funded through sectoral support, particularly for fishing and coastal communities, and for climate adaptation for coastal communities to be a key priority of funding under sectoral support
Banner photo: fishing village on the Malagasy coast, by Guillermo Suarez.
EU and Madagascar launch first-round negotiations this week on a new protocol to their Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, as the current protocol is set to expire in June 2027.