FISHFILES LITE JUNE 2002
Megapesca Lda. Portugal
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Fishfiles Lite is a monthly newsletter on key developments in EU fisheries and trade policy and legislation. For more details and to download the full text of any of the items below, please visit our site and subscribe to FishFiles Professional.

Contents this month:

Common Fisheries Policy News

1. Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler makes several speeches on reform of the CFP
2. New fisheries agreement ratified between EU and Seychelles until 2005.
3. EU-Guinea fisheries agreement was extended until end of 2002.
4. Some Member States are blocking the South Africa trade agreement unless they get a deal on fisheries.
5. Commission proposed a regulation for strengthened regulation of deep seas fisheries.
6. Fishing for sole by Belgian vessels, and for sandeel in the North Sea has been stopped.
7. Parliamentary questions regarding dolphin by-catch and pelagic and pair- trawls.
8. Trade protocols signed with Latvia and Slovak Republic to eliminate tariffs on trade in fishery products.
9. The Commission has opened preliminary talks of fisheries agreements with Ghana and Mozambique.
10. WTO panel is investigating just what is, and is not, a sardine, and the admissibility of EU trade rules on this subject.
11. Framework for integrated coastal zone management is proposed by the Commission and Parliament.
12. The Commission has called for proposals for "innovative actions at community level"

Fish Hygiene Issues

1. Commissioner Byrne outlined policy for food safety in the EU.
2. In a new chloramphenicol scare, the Commission has extended stricter import controls to include demersal fishery products (pollack, cod and redfish) from China.
3. Japan has been approved as a third country supplier of bivalve molluscs to the Community.
4. Bulgaria and United Arab Emirates are re-admitted to the list of suppliers of fishery products, with some restrictions on Bulgaria.
5. The Commission has updated the list of EU establishments which can use ionising radiation on fish and foodstuffs.
6. Zero tolerance standards for Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon have been questioned in the EU parliament.
7. The Commission is investigating concerns over the use of plant proteins (tari) to enhance water holding capacity of frozen fish products.

Common Fisheries Policy News

1. Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler goes on the road with speeches promoting the Commission's proposals for reform of the CFP in Denmark, UK, Spain and St.Petersburg.

2. The Fisheries agreements between EU and Seychelles was ratified, extending fishing opportunities for 40 tuna purse seiners and 27 longliners to Spain, Portugal, UK, Italy and France until January 2005.

3. The EU-Guinea fisheries agreement was extended until end of December 2002. Allocates fishing opportunities for demersal trawling, shrimp vessels, tuna purse seiners, tuna pole & line vessels and surface longliners to Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and France.

4. The EU Parliament questioned apparent linkage of the delayed ratification of EU-South Africa trade agreements in Member States with South Africa's refusal to negotiate a fisheries agreement. No-one is saying, but it seems that Spain and Portugal (at least) are blocking the trade agreement unless they get a deal on fisheries.

5. The Commission has published proposed regulation for strengthened regulation of deep seas fisheries (defined by a list of species), requiring Member States to tighten effort and catch reporting, and place observers onboard fishing vessels using specified gears.

6. Due to exhaustion of quota, fishing has been stopped for sole by Belgian vessels, and for sandeel in the North Sea (except for UK and Danish vessels, which have not yet utilised 2002 quotas).

7. Questions were asked in Parliament regarding dolphin by-catch, and criticising the lack of reporting by Member States. Some MEPs are questioning the use of pelagic trawls and pair-trawling, but the Commission says there is no evidence to implicate these types of gear, and cannot justify any specific measures at this stage.

8. The EU has signed trade protocols with Latvia and Slovak Republic which will eliminate tariffs on trade in fishery products within 3 years, in advance of EU accession at some future date.

9. The Commission has opened preliminary talks with Ghana and Mozambique on the possibility of establishing fisheries agreements with these countries. Ghana has been against this idea for many years, unlike next door neighbour Cote d'Ivoire.

10. The present EU requirements for labelling of sardine (or sardine-like species) from South America are under scrutiny once again. A WTO panel is investigating just what is, and is not, a sardine, and the admissibility of trade rules on this subject. Questions were asked in Parliament.

11. A new framework for integrated coastal zone management is proposed in a joint recommendation of the Commission and Parliament. This will require member states to undergo national stocktaking exercises and prepare national strategies in consultation with stakeholders. The exercise will necessarily encompass fisheries management and socio-economic aspects of fisheries.

12. The Commission has called for proposals for "innovative actions at community level", in the form of studies, pilot projects and exchange of experience activities to support the Common Fisheries Policy.

Fish Hygiene Issues

1. In a keynote speech, Commissioner Byrne outlined major policy themes for food safety in the EU, including a proposal to harmonise food control systems within different member states, new hygiene proposals, and a major review of food labelling. The possibility of sanctions for Member States which do not comply is being considered. At present they are just threatened with the European Court (and carry on as normal).

2. The Commission has extended a stricter level of control to imports of demersal fishery products (pollack, cod and redfish) from China, following detection of chloramphenicol. The stricter controls imposed on shrimp have been extended and now 20% of such consignments must be sampled and tested.

3. Japan has been approved by the Commission as a third country supplier of bivalve molluscs to the Community. Only one production area has been approved.

4. Bulgaria and the United Arab Emirates have also been re-admitted to the list of suppliers of fishery products. However in Bulgaria only four establishments are approved and there are still deficiencies in the control systems of the National Veterinary Service therefore imports are subject to higher levels of sampling and testing and bivalve importation is not allowed. Commission permission is required before establishments can be added to the Bulgarian list.

5. The Commission has updated the list of EU establishments approved for application of ionising radiation to foodstuffs; only two such establishments (in the Netherlands) are approved for fishery products (shrimp).

6. An EU parliamentary question was asked on zero tolerance standards in some member states for Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon. It is widely accepted that it is not possible to eliminate this hazard in this product, yet some Member States (notably Italy) persist in maintaining a zero tolerance (compared to a limit of 100cfu-g in some other states). The Commission says that there are no plans to harmonise standards, and does not appear unduly concerned at the anomaly.

7. Concern was expressed in Parliament at the reported practice of using some plant proteins (tari) to enhance water holding capacity of frozen fish products. The Commission is investigating the allegation.

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