FISHFILES LITE OCTOBER
2003
Megapesca Lda.
www.megapesca.com
Dear Megapesca,
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Common Fisheries Policy
1. A common framework was established by the Commission for Regional
Advisory Councils (RACs) for fisheries.
2. The EU Council agreed on a new fisheries management regime in "Western
Waters".
3. New measures to be introduced for management of European eel stocks.
4. New 2003 TACs and quotas for Baltic sprat.
5. Drastic cut in 2003 Biscay anchovy TAC.
6. New fisheries management measures announced for the
7. New scientific advice from ICES supports EU emergency recovery measures for
cod and hake.
8. Stop fishing notice were issued for Portuguese, Spanish and French vessels.
9. Tariff quotas increased for imported cod, hake, blue grenadier and rock
lobster imports for processing.
10. EU Parliament endorses Commission's proposals for sustainable aquaculture.
11. A one year extension of the EU- Guinea fisheries agreement was ratified.
12. A one year extension of the EU- Mauritius fisheries agreement was also
approved.
13. EU Parliament questioned EU-Iceland Fisheries Agreement.
14. EU Commissioner for Fisheries tells
15. Outbreak of infectious oyster diseases in
16. EFTA approves
17. EU parliament continues questioning the Commission on cetacean bycatch in pair trawling.
Fish Hygiene
18. Thirty two rapid alerts were notified for failure to comply with
health conditions for fishery products.
19. New GMO authorisation procedure introduced for human food and animal feeds,
along with labelling requirement.
20.
21. New EFSA HQ location rumours dismissed by the Commission.
22. Commission clarifies implications of the new nutritional and health claims
regulation for foods.
23. EU Parliament questions number of rapid alerts due to nitrofuran
antibiotics in Vietnamese shrimp and poultry.
24. New Regulation on smoke flavourings adopted, requiring authorisation
procedures before released to market.
Common Fisheries Policy
1. The European Commission adopted a proposal setting out a common
framework for Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) for
fisheries. The creation of RACs is one of the main
pillars of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) agreed by the
Council last December and are designed to increase stakeholder participation.
2. The EU Council finalised agreement on management of fishing effort relating
to "Western Waters" to allow for the end of the treaty-based
exclusions of Spanish and Portuguese vessels from some regions. The
regulation will retain the 100 mile limits around
3. The European Commission adopted a Community Action Plan for the management
of European eel stocks, currently outside safe biological limits. The plan,
which involves emergency conservation measures, may include bans in some
regions, restrictions on fishing, support for habitat preservation and eel
passes on dams.
4. The Council modified the 2003 TACs and
5. The Commission has announced a two thirds cut in the 2003 anchovy TAC for
anchovy, following new scientific advice. Angler fish stocks however are
allowed a slight increase in catches to avoid quota discards.
6. Following the 2003 Action Plan, the European Commission has proposed a new
set of fisheries management measures for the
7. New scientific advice released by the International Council for the Exploration
of the Sea (ICES) confirmed the need for the emergency recovery measures
introduced by the European Commission last year for cod and hake.
8. Stop fishing notice were issued for Portuguese, Spanish and French vessels
targeting a range of species including bluefin tuna,
cod and angler fish.
9. The level of tariff quotas were increased for cod, hake, blue grenadier and
rock lobster imports from third countries, to allow improved supplies to EU
fish processors.
10. The EU Parliament gave an opinion on the Commission's proposals for
aquaculture development policy, welcoming consideration of aquaculture in its
own right rather than as an alternative activity to capture fisheries. However,
it also calls for more support for marketing and market studies, and for more
attention to extensive aquaculture and ecological restocking.
11. The EU ratified the extension of the fisheries agreement between the EU and
12. A one year extension to the EU-Mauritius fisheries agreement was also
approved, maintaining access for EU purse seiners,
longliners and line fishing vessels (allocated to
13. There was a question in Parliament regarding the financial provisions and
beneficiaries in the EU-Iceland Fisheries Agreement. The Commission responded
there is no financial support in this agreement (being a reciprocal agreement).
14. On an official visit to
15. The Commission amended the list of Bonamia/Marteilia
free zones, following an outbreak of these infectious oyster diseases in
16. Approval is given by EFTA for
17. More questions were asked in Parliament about what the Commission is doing
to address the issue of dead dolphins washed up in
Fish Hygiene
18. Thirty two rapid alerts were notified for failure to comply with
health conditions for fishery products, including 5 more consignments of
swordfish exceeding the maximum residue limits for cadmium, insect infested bonga shad from
19. The Council passed a regulation introducing a standard authorisation
requirement and procedure for GMOs to be used in
human food or animal feeds. Also requires labelling of foods containing more
than 0.9% of GM material. In addition a corresponding regulation was passed
requiring traceability of food and feed derived from GMOs
and setting out specific labelling provisions for consumer foods.
20. Following satisfactory inspections by DG SANCO, the Commission amended
Lists 1 and 2 of countries entitled to export fishery products to the EU. List
1 now includes
21. Following rumours that the EFSA HQ will be split between
22. The Commission issued an unusual press release, clarifying some aspects of
the Proposed Regulation of
23. A question was asked in the EU Parliament regarding the number of rapid
alerts due to nitrofuran antibiotics in Vietnamese
shrimp and poultry since the import ban on these products was lifted in October
2002. In response, the Commission said that 59 alerts were issued on Vietnamese
products prior to lifting of the ban, and 16 after. In total 411 rapid alerts
were notified for banned substances in 2002.
24. The Council adopted the Regulation on smoke flavourings, which will require
Member States to introduce an authorisation procedure for such products before
the beginning of 2005. If they are not authorised the products will have to be
withdrawn. The probable effect will probably be a defacto
ban.
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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
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