FISHFILES LITE FEBRUARY 2004
Megapesca Lda. Portugal
www.megapesca.com

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Fishfiles Lite

Common Fisheries Policy

1. Trawl ban proposed for Azores, Madeira and the Canaries Islands.
2. More Parliamentary questions on Spanish access to Western waters.
3. Commission announces new multi-annual tariff quota regime for imported fisheries products.
4. Dutch authorities may be prosecuted by the Commission for allowing industrial cockle fishing to reduce the eider duck population.
5. Irish authorities prosecuted for not preventing extinction of arctic char in Lough Conn.
6. Trawling ban on Darwin mounds extended.
7. Commission announces legislation being considered to minimise dolphin by-catch from mid-water trawling.
8. The EU Parliament says that the outermost regions' fish subsidy should be made permanent.
9. The Dutch competition authority fines shrimp wholesalers and producer organisations for price fixing.
10. The EU and Cote d'Ivoire extend the existing fisheries agreement until end of June 2004.
11. The EU and the Solomon Islands initialled a new bilateral Fisheries Agreement for three years.
12. The EU and Romania agree to tariff elimination on fishery product trade.
13. Mandatory satellite vessel monitoring on smaller vessels (>15m) will be universal, but supported by Community funding, says the Commission
14. The EU Parliament calls for severe penalties for illegal fishing under flags of convenience.
15. The UK fish processing industry flouts workers' rights, drawing criticism from the EU Parliament.
16. The EU Parliament asks if joint ventures with third country enterprises will be supported in future.
17. New members nominated to the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries.

Fish Hygiene

18. Forty-two rapid alerts were notified for fishery products in February 2004; 30% were of EU origin.
19. The Commission published the draft of the new general food hygiene/HACCP regulation, as well as the new hygiene rules and official controls for food of animal origin.
20. A new Directive was passed requiring Member States to assess compliance with GLPs in testing laboratories.
21. DG Health and Consumer Protection reported on health conditions for fishery products exports from Saudi Arabia, finding that they were not in compliance with EU Directives.
22. A consolidated list of authorised animal feed additives published by the Commission.
23. The EU Parliament considered the prohibition on the adding fishmeal to ruminant feeds.

Common Fisheries Policy

1. The European Commission has announced a proposal to ban the use of bottom-trawled fishing gear around the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries Islands. The aim is to eliminate the risk of damage to sensitive deep-water habitats.

2. The European Parliament again questioned the transitional measures regarding the access to Community's western waters within Portuguese EEZ. Commissioner Fischler states that new access arrangements must be introduced in line with the Treaties of Accession of Spain and Portugal.

3. The Council adopted a new multi-annual tariff quota regime for certain imported fisheries products for the period 2004 - 2006, to ensure supplies to the EU processing industry.

4. The EU Parliament questioned the role of the Dutch authorities in allowing industrial cockle fishing, which may have reduced the eider duck population in the Wadden Sea. The Commission is investigating a possible breach of EU Directives.

5. The EU Parliament also questioned the apparent failure of Irish authorities to prevent the extinction of arctic char in Lough Conn. The Commission has launched legal action and the judgement of the Court is awaited.

6. The Commission extended the trawling ban on Darwin Mounds NW of Scotland (to protect deepwater corals) to 22 August 2004.

7. The EU Parliament questioned the Commission regarding dolphin by-catch from mid-water trawling, and the possible need for onboard observers. Legislative proposals are in the pipeline.

8. The Economic and Social Committee of the EU Parliament opined on subsidies for fishery enterprises in the outermost regions of the EU. It says that the subsidy should be made permanent, with an easy and practical way of assessing the amounts in future. However the EU Council has insisted on a 4 year renewable programme.

9. The Dutch competition authority has fined shrimp wholesalers and producer organisations for agreeing on a catch limit and setting a minimum price. The Commission says the ruling does not conflict with fisheries conservation policy.

10. The EU and Cote d'Ivoire have agreed to extend the existing fisheries agreement until end of June 2004, when a new Fisheries Partnership Agreement is to be installed.

11. The EU and the Solomon Islands initialled a new bilateral Fisheries Agreement for an initial period of three years. This Agreement, worth EUR400,000/year, will commence 1st January 2005, and will provide fishing possibilities for 4 tuna purse seine vessels and 10 tuna long-liners.

12. The EU and Romania agreed a protocol to the association agreement setting out the tariff elimination programme for fishery product trade between the two.

13. The EU Parliament questioned the Commission regarding the mandatory satellite vessel monitoring requirements (on >18m vessel from Jan 2004 and >15m from Jan 2005); there will be no derogations for short trips, but the cost of installation will be supported by Community funding to the same extent as the previous installations on vessels >24m.

14. The EU Parliament passed a resolution on fishing in international waters calling for severe penalties for illegal fishing under flags of convenience, and for standardising of penalties between regional fisheries organisations.

15. The EU Parliament accused the UK of allowing the UK fish processing industry to flout workers' rights - more than 50% of employees work under illegal conditions. But the Commission says it is a matter for the UK Government to resolve.

16. The EU Parliament questioned the Commission on support for joint ventures with third country enterprises (under fisheries partnership agreements) after 2004. Commissioner Fischler says that it will be up to Council to decide whether to continue with this historic measure.

17. The Commission published the list of happy members newly nominated to the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries.

Fish Hygiene

18. Forty-two rapid alerts were notified for failure to comply with health conditions, including fishery products from Denmark (salmon, mackerel), Netherlands (shrimp, tuna), France (squid, cuttlefish), Spain (mussels, swordfish), United Kingdom (monkfish, salmon), Spain (swordfish) and Greece (mussels).

19. The EU Council and Commission published draft versions of the new general food hygiene regulation, which will require food business operators in EU and third countries to apply the HACCP system; the draft specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin were also published (which will replace Directive 91/493/EEC) as well the draft regulation for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin.

20. The Council passed a new Directive requiring the Competent Authorities of Member States to designate the bodies responsible for assess compliance with Good Laboratory Practices in testing laboratories (including food testing).

21. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on health conditions for the production of fishery products in Saudi Arabia. The standards were to found not to be equivalent, there was little coordination and weak implementation of inspection systems. There was no residue monitoring plan and laboratory standards did not meet EN45001 standards. Guarantees are sought before re-inspection.

22. The Commission published an updated and consolidated list of authorised additives and permitted content in animal feeds.

23. The EU Parliament questioned the Commission regarding the frequency of detection on mammalian material in fishmeal; out of 10,407 samples, 1.5% (2001) and 0.64% (2002) tested positive. Although not considered to be a risk in itself, fishmeal interferes with the testing for mammalian proteins in feed and therefore the ban on feeding to ruminants will be retained, says the Commission.


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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