Building a common European language for communicating seafood sustainability
📍 Presented: 24 June 2025 – DG Byen, Copenhagen
Status: Draft presented – stakeholder consultation and consensus process ongoing
What is the VeriFish CWA?
The VeriFish CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) is a European Good Practice Recommendation that sets out guidance on how to communicate verifiable sustainability indicators for seafood in a clear, harmonised, and trustworthy way.
Developed under the framework of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the CWA provides a structured approach to communicating indicators related to:
Sustainability
Nutrition
Provenance
Biodiversity
The goal is to support producers, retailers, restaurants, NGOs, and communicators in reaching consumers with messages that are scientifically grounded, accessible, and aligned across Europe.
Objectives
The VeriFish CWA aims to:
Promote consistent and evidence-based messaging about seafood sustainability.
Provide practical tools and language for those marketing or explaining seafood products.
Encourage the use of credible, non-misleading claims, improving consumer understanding and trust.
Lay the groundwork for improved communication that can enhance sustainability practices across the sector.
The CWA is not a certification scheme — it complements existing systems by offering guidance on how to communicate the value behind sustainable choices.

🛠️ The Process: From Presentation to Consensus
The draft CWA was officially presented at a public event on 24 June 2025 in Copenhagen, hosted by Eurofish and partners of the VeriFish project. The event brought together stakeholders from across the seafood value chain, including consumer organisations, researchers, NGOs, and industry professionals.
Following the presentation, the CWA entered a formal consultation and consensus-building phase, with the following timeline:
End of June – July 2025: Collection of preliminary feedback from attendees
August 2025: Circulation of revised draft for detailed comments (deadline: 8 August)
September–November 2025: Online consensus meeting and option to endorse the final draft
End 2025 – Early 2026: Finalisation and publication of the CWA by CEN
All interested stakeholders are welcome to contribute to the process, whether or not they participated in the June event.
🗣️ Stakeholder Involvement
The CWA development process is open and inclusive, with particular attention to input from:
Fisheries and aquaculture producers
Retailers, HoReCa, and fishmongers
Consumer organisations and communication specialists
Policy institutions and sustainability experts
Researchers and food data organisations
International observers and NGOs
Special attention is also being given to communication needs for different product types (fresh, processed, restaurant-served), stakeholder roles (chefs, fishmongers), and emerging areas such as algae and vegetarian seafood alternatives.
If you would like to:
Review the draft VeriFish CWA
Provide feedback or expert input
Participate in the upcoming online consensus meetings
Endorse the final CWA once finalised