FishFiles Lite
Common Fisheries Policy and Fish Hygiene
by MEGAPESCA LDA
TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN FOOD &
FISHERIES POLICY & DEVELOPMENT
May 2004
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Common fisheries policy
1. EU
bans import of tuna and swordfish products from several countries which do not
manage their resources in a sustainable manner.
2. Still
no agreement on blue whiting in the North East Atlantic; Commissoner
Fischler appeals.
3. EU
joins Western Central Pacific Tuna Commission.
4. EU
Commission welcomes creation of Medisamak.
5. EU
Commission published proposal for the creation of the EU Fisheries Control
Agency.
6. EU
Commission assesses the implications of Accession for the fisheries and
aquaculture industry of the new Member States.
7. Future
EU Fisheries Commissioner speaks on structural funding.
8. Regulations
changed governing transhipment and joint ventures in the North East Atlantic
Fisheries area.
9. New
conservation measures announced for the 25-mile management zone around
10. Details
announced of the Regional Advisory Councils for fisheries.
11. FIFG
structural assistance amended; more help for mollusc producers.
Fish hygiene
12. Twenty
two rapid alerts in May.
13. New
hygiene requirements published to replace Directives 91/493 and 91/492 .
14. Updated
list published of 58 countries authorised for the supply of aquaculture
products.
15. Commission
decided on changes to the control of aquaculture diseases.
16. DG
SANCO considers changes to OIE testing and certification for aquatic animals.
17. The
Commission publishes guidance document on animal feeding stuffs.
18. DG
SANCO will support studies on eliminating dioxin from fish oils
19. The
Danish Government bans on Baltic salmon due to dioxin. Other countries ordered
to investigate.
Common fisheries policy
1. The
EU has banned the import of tuna and swordfish products from several countries
whose fishing activities are not in compliance with international efforts to
conserve and manage fish stocks in a sustainable manner. Trade restrictions on
imports from some
2. Following
7 years of fruitless negotiations Commisisoner Fischler appealed to the
3. The
EU Council of Ministers decided that the EU would join the Convention on the
Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (i.e. tuna stocks)
in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPTC).
4. The
EU Commission welcomed the creation in
5. The
European Commission published its proposal for the creation of the EU Fisheries
Control Agency to strengthen the uniformity and effectiveness of enforcement
and monitoring resources. The Agency will coordinate enforcement activities of
Member States.
6. The
Commission has made information available, in all 20 official languages of the
EU, on the implications of Accession for the fisheries and aquaculture industry
of the new Member States. Fact sheets on fisheries in each country are also
available.
7. The
next EU Fisheries Commissioner, Sandra Kalniete gave
a speech “Looking forward to the future of structural funding for the fisheries
sector”. She called for a more simplified regulatory framework, and for the
Commission to be less involved in day to day fisheries management.
8. The
EU Council Agreed a change to the regulations
governing transhipment and joint ventures in the North East Atlantic Fisheries
area. The regulation setting out some changes to the TACs
in the recovery plan for Northern Hake was also approved.
9. The
EU Council adopted a Regulation introducing conservation measures in the
25-mile management zone around
10. The
Council adopted a Commission proposal to establish Regional Advisory Councils
(with EU funding) under the Common Fisheries Policy.
11. The
Council also adopted amendments regarding the FIFG structural assistance, to
reduce support for intensive aquaculture and compensate mollusc producers for
loss of business due to algal blooms.
Fish hygiene
12. Twenty
two rapid alerts were notified in May for failure to comply with health
conditions, including consignment of fishery products originating from Greece
(mussels), New Zealand (pink cusk-eel), Germany
(salmon), Denmark (salmon) and Spain (swordfish, mussels).
13. The
EU Parliament and Council published three new regulations setting out:
a) new hygiene
requirements applying to all EU food businesses and requirements for third
country supplies. It requires businesses to "implement and maintain a permanent
procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles".
b) specific
hygiene rules for specific products. It contains new requirement for animal
products from third countries and specific requirements for bivalve molluscs
and fishery products to replace Directive 91/492/EEC and 91/493/EEC
respectively.
c) requirements
for the organisation of official controls for hygiene of products of animal
origin by the Competent Authorities. Defines inspection (for the first time)
and the official controls to be implemented for bivalve molluscs and fishery
products. Defines the updated procedures regarding the
control of hygiene of imported products.
14. The
Commission has published an updated the list of countries approved for the
supply of products of animal origin through compliance with the residue
monitoring requirements of Directive 96/23. In all some 58 countries are
authorized for the supply of aquaculture products to the EU.
15. The
Standing Committee on the Food Chain And Animal Health considered a raft of
decisions regarding the control of aquaculture diseases, including from
imported live fish and gametes, and new disease free zones and farms within the
EU (with respect to viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) and infectious
haematopoietic necrosis (IHN).
16. DG
SANCO is considering OIE proposals for changes in diagnostic methods and
international animal health certification for aquatic animals.
17. The
Commission has published a guidance document containing the updated list of
legislation governing animal feeding stuffs.
18. DG
SANCO announced that it will support investigation of the feasibility of
purifying fish oils to eliminate or reduce dioxins, PCBs and other organochlorine compounds.
19. The
Danish Government announced a fishing and marketing
ban on Baltic salmon on
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