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July, 2005

Common Fisheries Policy

1. France fined EUR20 million for ignoring EU rules on sale of undersized fish
2. Portugal loses EU Court action for breaking EU fish quotas
3. Commission announces 81 fisheries infringement procedures against Member States.
4. European Commission guilty of maladministration in respect of Azores fisheries
5. New fisheries partnership agreement between the EU and Morocco
6. EU Commission starts debate on eco-labeling of fisheries products
7. Grants approved for collection of fishery sector data
8. New anti dumping duties on farmed salmon from Norway
9. Derogation of the rules of origin for St.Pierre and Miquelon scallops
10. Ban on fishing for sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak
11. Ban on fishing for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay
12. Stop fishing notices issued for vessels targeting many Atlantic species
13. Italy grants state aids to aquaculture cooperatives

Fish hygiene

14. Forty six rapid alerts for unsafe fishery products
15. New guidance document for Competent Authorities published by the Commission
16. DG SANCO reports on Senegal "numerous serious shortcomings"
17. DG SANCO reports on Singapore; cadmium in swordfish considered
18. Algeria, Bahamas and Grenada progress to the List
19. Commission lifts restrictions on fishery products imported from Bulgaria.
20. New Competent Authorities in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, China, and Madagascar.
21. The FVO of DG SANCO publishes the inspection programme for the rest of 2005
22. New Zealand to be allowed to export live bivalve molluscs to the EU
23. New measures being considered to control campheclor in farmed fish.
24. New list of zones approved as being free of fish diseases

Common Fisheries Policy

1. European Court of Justice has found France guilty of non-compliance with a 1991 ruling on minimum fish sizes, and imposed a fine of EUR20 million plus €58 million for every 6 months that the failures persist. This is the first time a Member State has been fined for breach of rules. The Commission welcomed the decision.

2. The European Court also passed judgment against Portugal for ignoring fish quotas during 1994 to 1996, and for not monitoring the catches of quota species. No fine, but costs imposed.

3. The Commission announced that it has currently 81 fisheries infringement procedures pending against Member States.

4. The European Ombudsman found that the European Commission was both wrong and guilty of maladministration in its interpretation of rules on fishing in the waters surrounding the Azores, following a complaint by Portugal.

5. A fisheries partnership agreement has been initialed between the European Union and Morocco. This agreement, which will be in place for a period of 4 years, provides fishing possibilities for 119 EU vessels, in return for compensation of EUR144 million. The agreement marks the renewal of the fisheries relations between the two Parties after the previous agreement came to an end in November 1999.

6. The European Commission launched a Communication on the best way ahead regarding the eco-labeling of fisheries products, following increased public interest in environmentally sustainable food production.

7. The Commission approved grants to Member states to contribute towards the collection and management of data regarding the fishery sector. Fifty percent of the costs of approved data plans will be provided by Community funds
8. A new Regulation amended the anti dumping duties imposed on farmed salmon from Norway, following last months agreement on minimum import prices.

9. The Commission allowed a derogation of the rules of origin, permitting the duty free import into the EU from St.Pierre and Miquelon of 250 tonnes per year of scallops, even though the spat from which they are grown originates in Canada.

10. The Commission passed a regulation prohibiting fishing for sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak, following management recommendations from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF).

11. Due to poor recruitment of juvenile fish in recent years, the Commission has imposed a three month ban on the fishing for anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, which will be lifted after the spawning period has passed.

12. Stop fishing notices were issued for vessels targeting sandeel in the North Sea and Skagerrak, for roundnose grenadier, Northern prawn, Blue Ling, common sole and forkbeards.

13. Italy has granted state aids to aquaculture cooperatives in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, for improved promotion, quality and marketing activities.

Fish hygiene

14. During July, the Commission published rapid alerts for 46 consignments of fishery products identified as being in breach of food hygiene and safety requirements. These included products from Indonesia (mako shark, tuna, catfish, swordfish), Bangladesh (black tiger shrimp), Vietnam (Pangasius, black malin black tiger shrimp) and India (squid). They also featured 12 alerts for cadmium in the banana prawns from Australia.

15. The Commission published a new comprehensive guidance document for Competent Authorities and food businesses in the Member States and in third countries, regarding the official control systems and requirements for the supply of foodstuffs to the Community within the frame of the new hygiene and official control regulations.

16. DG SANCO of the Commission reported on hygiene conditions regarding production and exportation of fishery products from Senegal to the European Union, finding numerous serious shortcomings. The Senegalese authorities were given 25 days to prepare an action plan addressing the deficiencies. This is now being implemented with support from the SFP ACP Health Conditions project.

17. DG SANCO reported on the conditions regarding production and exportation of fishery products from Singapore. Some deficiencies were identified in relation to the lack of controls on raw material from other third countries, weak HACCP implementation and lack of follow up on RASFF alerts. The inspection also addressed the issue of cadmium in swordfish.

18. Following recent inspection mission reports and guarantees, the Commission updated the list of third countries on List I and II permitted to supply fishery products to the European Union, following the progression of Algeria, Bahamas and Grenada to List 1.

19. Following a recent inspection mission, the Commission has lifted restrictions on fishery products imported from Bulgaria.

20. The Commission has recognised changes in the nominated Competent Authorities for official controls of health conditions for fishery products in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, China, and Madagascar.

21. The FVO of DG SANCO has published its inspection programme for remainder of 2005. Inspections between July and December 2005 will include fish hygiene conditions in Mauritania, Colombia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Philippines, Ecuador, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Thailand, Japan, Chile, Croatia, Germany, Sweden and Finland.

22. The Commission agreed that the sanitary rules, controls and certification of New Zealand are equivalent to Community requirements and announced its decision to permit imports of live bivalve molluscs from New Zealand.

23. Following the recent publication of the EFSA opinion on camphechlor in fish oil and meal, new measures are being considered to reduce human exposure through the consumption of farmed fish.

24. The Commission has amended the list of zones approved as being free of diseases of certain species for fish raised in aquaculture systems.