The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the public consultation on evaluating the Common Fisheries Policy (Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013).
The MSA recommends that the evaluation and future revisions of the CFP Regulation integrate a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as part of the policy process, following a comprehensive and scientific approach in line with the International Principles for Social Impact Assessment.
The International Association for Impact Assessment defines Social Impact Assessment as “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions”. An SIA is inherently interdisciplinary and relies on well-established social-scientific methods, both qualitative and quantitative.
Given that the CFP affects diverse coastal communities, labour markets, and household livelihoods, a structured SIA would provide critical insights into how policy impacts are experienced by different social groups. These assessments should not be one-off exercises but continuous processes that actively engage stakeholders and feed back into decision-making to ensure inclusive, adaptive, and effective policy implementation.
Therefore, the MSA encourages the embedding of a formal and participatory social impact assessment framework into the CFP, both for this evaluation and for future policy.
