FISHFILES LITE JANUARY 2003

Megapesca Lda. Portugal

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Fishfiles Lite is a free monthly newsletter summarizing key developments in EU fisheries and trade policy and legislation. The full text of all of the items below is available to subscribers to Megapesca's FishFiles Professional service

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Common Fisheries Policy

1. A new EU-Angola fisheries protocol was ratified by the EU Council.
2. The EU Council also ratified a new EU-Senegal fisheries protocol.
3. Council passed a new regulation to define measurement methods for mesh-sizes and twine thickness of fishing nets.
4. The Commission hosted a conference on the role of women in EU fisheries.
5. The first Agric/Fisheries Council meeting under the Greek presidency was held, on 28 January 2003, approving several Commission proposals.

Fish Hygiene

6. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO published the inspection programme for 2003.
7. DG SANCO reported on a 2001 inspection of the control system for health conditions of fishery products and bivalves in France. Many substantive defects.
8. The European Food Safety Authority called for expressions of interest for participation in the scientific panels for determining risk assessment.
9. Consignments of shrimps from Thailand can now enter the EU without testing.
10. The EU ban on the import of live salmonids from Norway and Faeroe Islands was extended until 2004.
11. Salmon fillets may now be imported from China without testing.
12. The Commission approved Poland as a List 1 third country supplier of fishery products to the EU.
13. The Commission presented guidance on health regulations to third country suppliers of animal products to the EU.
14. New labelling requirements (including allergen labelling of fishery products under Directive 2001/13) will only have a six-month transition period.
15. The UK requests the Commission to change the rules on temperature monitoring of frozen foods.
16. The Commission recommended Member States implement monitoring of cooked molluscan and crustacean shellfish and certain pelagic fish species.
17. The Commission approved the technical work programmes for four Community Reference Laboratories for residue testing.
18. New and updated animal health control system and measures were defined.
19. New limits set on canthaxanthin pigments in salmon feed.
20. Commissioner Byrne highlights the growing distance between scientific assessment and consumer perceptions of risk.

Common Fisheries Policy

1. New EU-Angola fisheries protocol was approved by the EU Council, covering the period from 3 August 2002 to 2 August 2004. Defines fishing opportunities for tuna vessels, shrimp vessels and demersal trawlers. Financial contribution from the EU is increased to EUR 15,500,000 per year.
2. New EU-Senergal fisheries protocol was also approved, covering the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2006. Defines fishing opportunities for tuna vessels, demersal trawlers and longliners. The financial contribution to be paid to Senegal has been increased to EUR 16 million per year. Fishing opportunities were allocated to Greece, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
3. A new regulation was approved which defined the design of the gauges to be used for measuring mesh-sizes and twine thickness of fishing nets, and describes their mode of use in determining compliance with Community mesh size regulations.
4. The Commission hosted a conference on the role of women in EU fisheries (22% of employment), to present the results of a study undertaken in 2001/2002. In his speech Commissioner Fischler said fisheries is not just “blokes in boats”. Woman's activities in the family and in the industry of fisheries are usually unpaid and often unrecognised.
5. The Agricultural/Fisheries Council meeting on 28 January 2003 (the first under the Greek presidency) adopted the Community Action Plan for the integration of environmental protection requirements into the Common Fisheries Policy, the Community Strategy for the sustainable development of European Aquaculture, and new Council Regulation for the detailing technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms.

Fish Hygiene

1. DG SANCO published the Food and Veterinary Offices’ inspection plan for 2003. Around 250 inspections will be completed in 2003. Fishery products inspection missions will be undertaken to Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Congo (Rep. du), Eritrea, Solomon Islands, St. Helena, United Arab Emirates, Yugoslavia, USA and Zimbabwe
2. DG SANCO reported on the control system for health conditions of fishery products and bivalves in France (based on an inspection in 2001). The main findings are a lack of central coordination and direction, lack of accredited laboratories, approval of non-compliant establishments, lack of inspections of fishing vessels, weak HACCP implementation and a non-functional monitoring system for biotoxins in bivalve molluscs. All in all, quite serious defects, which the French Government has since guaranteed to address.
3. European Food Safety Authority called for applicants to participate in the scientific panels, determining risk assessment.
4. The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health supported a Commission proposal to revoke the systematic checks of shrimp from Thailand for drug residues (introduced in March 2002). All consignments of shrimps are now submitted to a pre-shipment check to control the presence of nitrofurans. The requirement to test all consignments of poultry entering the EU remains in place.
5. The EU extended until February 2004 the ban on the import of live salmonids from Norway and Faeroe Islands, and on salmonid eggs (unless disinfected twice). Unprocessed slaughtered fish must be either eviscerated or certified ISA free.
6. A Commission Decision amended the list of fishery products which may be imported from China into the Community without testing. This now inlcudes salmon fillets (wild and farmed).
7. Commission Decision approved Poland as a third country supplier of fishery products to the EU, nominating the Competent Authority, and specifying the form of certificate.
8. The Commission provided clear and long-overdue guidance, to third country suppliers of animal products to the EU, on how to comply with EU legislation and the administrative procedures applied by the Commission in assessing compliance.
9. SCFCAH approved a Commission proposal for a six-month transition period for introduction of new labelling requirements (including allergen labelling of fishery products under Directive 2001/13). Some Member States pressed for a longer period.
10. The UK has requested the Commission to change the rules in Directive 92/1 on temperature monitoring of frozen foods, following new CEN standards on temperature monitoring equipment.
11. The Commission has asked Member States to implement monitoring systems in 2003 for the food safety characteristics of olive oils, cooked molluscan and crustacean shellfish and certain pelagic fish species. The measure is aimed at providing information for risk assessment and may lead to revision of food standards for these products.
12. Technical work programmes for 2003 were approved by the Commission for four Community Reference Laboratories for residue testing (Berlin, Fougeres, Bilthoven, and Rome)
13. The Council has consolidated and updated provisions regarding the animal health measures to be implemented during the production and import from third countries of live animals and animal products. Includes veterinary controls, documentation and import rules.
14. Following evidence of risk of damage to eyesight, a Council Directive was passed setting a new limit of 25mg/kg canthaxanthin (a red pigment) in salmon feed (max. 100mg/kg canthazanthin and astaxanthin).
15. Commissioner Byrne, in a speech at the 23rd International Forum on Agriculture Policy of the Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV) Berlin, 23 January 2003, highlights the growing distance between scientific assessment and consumer perceptions of risk.

Disclaimer

Whilst we use our best efforts to provide accurate information in this newsletter, Megapesca is not responsible for the results of any inaccuracies or omissions which may be found to exist in the information provided, or any loss of profits or other consequential damages that may result from actions or omissions based on the information supplied. Readers are advised that only the European Union legislation published in the paper editions of the Official Journal of the European Communities is deemed authentic.

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