This workshop (WKD3R) meeting provided a platform for experts from the EU member states to meet and progress the assessment methodology on Descriptor 3 (commercially exploited fish and shellfish populations) and draft recommendations. Attendance at the meeting included thirty-three participants from Bulgaria, Den-mark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Roma-nia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and; together with representatives from Danish Fishermens Association, Seas at Risk and JRC. The first two days of the workshop were to discuss the process and horizontal re-maining gaps and settle issues, followed immediately by a 3-day workshop with four parallel sessions drafting recommendations and regional assessments for the four marine regions of MSFD (Baltic Sea, North-east Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea). The workshop was guided by the Chair and by facilitators assigned to each of the regional seas. One activity of the workshop was to take all commercially exploited fish and shellfish stocks into account under D3 and evaluate whether sufficient data are available to assess each against the three criteria – level of pressure of the fishing activity (criteri-on 3.1), and reproductive capacity of the stock (criterion 3.2). Obtaining an indicator and a reference point for an age structure that fulfills Criteria 3.3 of Descriptor 3 (COM Dec 2010/477/EU) was found to be challenging. Additionally, some species may have to be considered under D1 and D4 and this remains an ongoing discussion. Such considerations are especially pertinent to the Black Sea Region and are dis-cussed further in the report of the workshop.