FishFiles Lite is a free monthly newsletter summarising key developments in EU fisheries and fish trade policy and legislation.
To upgrade to FishFiles Professional and receive full access to the information summarised in this newsletter and also to be able to search for, and download, files from the Megapesca website, which now contains over 5,000 files, go to: http://www.megapesca.com/aboutfishfiles.asp <

MARCH 2005

Common Fisheries Policy

1. Commission decides France provided unlawful subsidies to the fishery sector
2. The EU Council renews EU-Cote d'Ivoire fisheries protocol until 2007
3. ACP countries allowed to use non-ACP origin tuna in exports to the EU
4. New regulations require marking of passive fishing gears
5. New streamlined fisheries rules for the Baltic Sea proposed
6. North East Atlantic fishing region changes statistical catch areas
7. Commissioners announce maritime policy consultation and Green Paper (2006)

Fish hygiene

8. Thirty Five consignments of fishery products subject to rapid alert
9. Continuing problems with Indonesian tuna discussed by Commission
10. Saudi Arabia added to List 1 of countries permitted to supply fishery products to the EU
11. Commission approves Saudi Arabia's residue monitoring plan for aquaculture products
12. The Food and Veterinary Office to visit 20 Third Countries in 2005
13. New fish feed additives authorised
14. Commission approves increase in the MRL of cadmium level in aquaculture fish feeds
15. Baltic countries to be permitted to sell fish with excessive levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs
16. EFSA gives an opinion on organotins in fish and shellfish
17. Commission announces more studies on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods
18. EFSA considers allergenicity of fishery products used in wine and cider production


Common Fisheries Policy

1. The Commission decided that France provided unlawful state aid incompatible to the internal market when it gave certain grants and inducements to a) the Corsican fishery sector and b) fishers following the Erika disaster (in 1999). France was ordered to recover the payments from the beneficiaries.

2. The EU Council renewed the EU-Cote d'Ivoire fisheries protocol for the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2007. It will provide fishing opportunities for demersal trawlers (1300GT per month), tuna seiners (34), surface longliners (11) and pole and line tuna vessels (3).

3. The ACP-EU Customs Committee decided to allow imports from ACP countries of up to 8000 tonnes of preserved tuna and 2000 tonnes of tuna loins not of ACP origin, which can qualify for duty free entry to the EU (until 2007)

4. The Commission passed a regulation setting out a requirement for passive fishing gears (including longlines), buoys and beam trawls to be marked and identifiable with their owners, and for appropriate marker buoys for fishing gears > 1km long.

5. The Commission proposed new streamlined fisheries rules for the Baltic Sea, with more simple and harmonised rules to ensure increased uniformity and conservation focused management.

6. The Commission set out modifications to the delimitation of statistical catch areas in the North East Atlantic fishing region.

7. President José Manuel Barroso and Commissioner Joe Borg announced the launch of a consultation exercise on maritime policy to be undertaken by a new Maritime Policy Task Force. A Green Paper will be produced in the first half of 2006.


Fish hygiene

8. Rapid alerts were notified to the Commission for failure to comply with health conditions in 35 consignments of fishery products, including products from Korea (algae), Vietnam (catfish) Sweden (trout eggs), China(blue whiting) and Turkey(clams).

9. The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health discussed continuing problems with imports of fishery products from Indonesia (carbon monoxide treatment, histamine contamination and other rapid alert notifications).

10. The Commission decided to place Saudi Arabia on List 1 of countries permitted to supply fishery products to the EU and recognised the General Directorate of Quality Control Laboratories (GDQCL) as the Competent Authority. List 1 and List 2 of countries permitted to supply fishery products to the EU was duly updated.

11. Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health also approved an amendment to Decision 2004/432/EC on the approval of residue plans of third countries according to Directive 96/23/EC, to include aquaculture products from Saudi Arabia.

12. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO of the EU Commission published its detailed programme of visits to be undertaken in 2005. Up to 20 third countries will be visited, including North Korea, Ukraine, and Indonesia.

13. The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health authorised a new fish feed additive (the enzyme 6-phytase) and gave permanent approval for "Astaxantin-rich (Aquasta)"as a colourant in trout and salmon feeds.

14. The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health approved an increase in the MRL of cadmium (to 1ppm) in aquaculture fish feeds. It is also considering increasing the permitted level of fluorine in marine krill and in fish feeds.

15. The Commission discussed derogations for five member states exploiting Baltic fisheries with regard to meeting the maximum levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fishery products. Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have the possibility of a derogation on the maximum levels of dioxins in salmon, herring, char, river lamprey, trout and roe of Vendace, providing that adequate measures to inform the public of the risks are in place.

16. EFSA gave an opinion on organotins in food, concluding that there could be a risk associated with fish and shellfish from harbours and busy shipping areas. A more detailed study is required.

17. The Commission announced that it is working with the EFSA to develop an approach for data collection for the further investigations on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods (for example in smoked fishery products).

18. The Scientific Panel of EFSA produced opinions on the risk associated with the allergenicity of fishery products (such as gelatine and isinglass) used as processing aids for making ciders and wines. The EFSA finds that there is insufficient information presented to allow a definitive assessment.