FishFiles Lite

Common Fisheries Policy and Fish Hygiene

by MEGAPESCA LDA

TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN FOOD & FISHERIES POLICY & DEVELOPMENT

October 2004

FishFiles Lite is a free monthly newsletter summarising key developments in EU fisheries and fish trade policy and legislation. The full text of the documents listed in this newsletter is available to FishFiles Professional subscribers. To learn more about FishFiles Professional, or to subscribe, please visit MegaPesca FishFiles online at: http://www.megapesca.com/aboutfishfiles.asp

Common Fisheries Policy

1. Commission sets out details of de minimis rule for state aids.

2. EU Council allows Spain and Portugal to continue South African fisheries agreements.

3. EU Council alters fishing opportunities under the EU-Greenland fisheries protocol.

4. Commission and the Seychelles initial new 6-year fisheries partnership agreement.

5. EU Fisheries Council discusses the Community Fisheries Control Agency.

6. The Commission limits support for installation of electronic positioning devices.

7. EU Council modifies effort limitation in around Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands.

8. New rules introduced for the recognition of associations of producer organizations.

9. Stop fishing notice were issued for stocks of herring common, sole and blue ling.

Fish Hygiene

10. Thirty-one rapid alerts notified to the Commission.

11. DG SANCO report condemns health conditions for fishery products in Indonesia.

12. Four new food additives to be introduced.

13. The Commission commented on Codex traceability and tin proposals.

14. The Commission recommended sampling levels for dioxin-like PCBs.

15. Four third country facilities approved for the irradiation of food.

16. List of EU contact points for zoonoses published.

17. Outgoing Commissioner Byrne outlines his achievements in office.

Common Fisheries Policy

1. The Commission set out details of the application of the de minimis rule to fishery and agricultural sector state aids, permitting support up to €3,000 per fisherman over three years to help in crisis situations.

2. The EU Council allowed Spain and Portugal to continue their bilateral fisheries agreement with South Africa, until Spring 2005.

3. The Council altered the allocation of fishing opportunities for snow crab, cod, halibut and prawn under the EU-Greenland fisheries protocol.

4. The EU Commission and the Seychelles initialed a new 6-year fisheries protocol, to 17 January 2011, worth €4,125 million a year.

5. The EU Fisheries Council met and discussed the functions and operational issues for the proposed Community Fisheries Control Agency.

6. The Commission set a ceiling (€4,500/vessel) on the amounts to which FIFG funding may be used to support the installation of electronic positioning devices on vessels..

7. The EU Council amended the range of the trawl ban around Azores, Madeira and Canary islands, and eased days at sea restrictions on vessels fitted with satellite VMS.

8. The Commission introduced rules for the recognition of associations of producer organizations in the fishery sector.

9. Stop fishing notice were issued for vessels targeting herring common, sole and blue ling.

Fish Hygiene

10. Rapid alerts were notified to the Commission for failure to comply with health conditions for 31 consignments of fishery products, including three consignments of tuna from Indonesia, tilapia from Vietnam, swordfish from Sri Lanka and squid from China.

11. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on a mission to assess health conditions for fishery products exported to the EU from Indonesia. Legislation was found to be non-compliant, inspectors’ level of knowledge was deficient, no specific approval procedures were in place, there was no monitoring of environmental contaminants, laboratory procedures (even though accredited) were defective, non-compliant establishments were processing unfit products, and there was lack of controls on veterinary medicines and monitoring of residues. The Commission stopped short of a ban, following receipt of an action plan and de-listing of 16 establishments.

12. The Commission proposed changes to additive legislation, permitting the use of four new food additives.

13. The Commission commented on a Code of Practice on tin in foodstuffs as well as on the definition of traceability, both proposed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

14. The Commission made recommendations regarding sampling levels in different feed and food commodities for monitoring of dioxin-like PCBs.

15. The Commission updated the list (now four) of approved facilities in third countries authorized for the irradiation of food supplied to the EU market.

16. The Commission published a list of EU contact points for zoonoses monitoring and control in each of the 25 Member States.

17. Outgoing Commissioner Byrne (for Health and Consumer Protection) released a statement claiming credit for “major progress achieved in public health, food safety and consumer issues”.

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