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May 2009

Common Fisheries Policy

1. EC Fisheries Ministers indicated their support for CFP reforms
2. European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) also supports CFP reform
3. Commission proposes new, early approach to setting of 2010 TACS
4. Council amends several 2009 TACs and quotas
5. Lists of IUU vessels notified to EC Border Inspection Posts
6. Commission amends standard conversion factors for processed fishery products
7. European Council approves EC- Russia Fisheries Agreement
8. Directive issued requiring EU-wide approach to maritime safety measures
9. Dr. Borg gives speech about discards
10. Dr. Borg summarises progress on the EC Integrated Maritime Policy
11. Dr. Borg gives speech in Seychelles about fisheries and developing countries

Fish hygiene

12. Rapid alerts were notified in respect of 44 consignments of fishery products
13. DG SANCO reports on a mission to Cape Verde; significant shortcomings
14. DG SANCO reports on a mission to New Zealand; controls well structured
15. EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare reports on killing of farmed tuna
16. Commission publishes contacts list for "Better training for safer food" initiative"

Common Fisheries Policy

1. The European Council held an exchange of views on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy on the basis of the Commission's Green Paper. EC Fisheries Ministers indicated their support for CFP reforms, including better adaptation of fleet capacity to stocks, discards reduction, devolution of decision-making to regional/national levels, improved efficiency of controls, adoption of a differentiated approach for industrial and coastal/small-scale fleets, the revision of funding rules, and more promotion of aquaculture development.

2. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an opinion on fisheries policy, which stressed the need for a reform of the control systems of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in order to combat fraudulent practices, guarantee the sustainability of resources and improve the effectiveness of the policy throughout the supply chain "from net to plate".

3. The European Commission published a consultation document setting out proposals for the approach to setting the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and the fishing effort limitations for 2010. This launches a much earlier discussion than in previous years, with a view to ensuring that TACs take greater account of scientific recommendations, with greater flexibility in changing TACs from year to year. Member States and stakeholders are invited to present their views by 31 July.

4. The Council passed a Regulation amending several of the TACs and quotas for 2009, along with some of the nomenclature used in the main Regulation 43/2009

5. In preparation for the implementation of the IUU Regulation 1005/2008, the Commission has published links to lists of IUU vessels, to help EC Border Inspection Posts in determining which consignments should be permitted entry after 1 January 2010.

6. The Commission has amended the standard conversion factors to be applied to generate live weight equivalents from processed products according to different presentations and species.

7. The European Council approved the Agreement on Cooperation in Fisheries and the Conservation of the Living Marine Resources in the Baltic Sea, between the EC and the Russian Federation. This provides for joint management for a period of 6 years (renewable) of shared and straddling stocks between the EC and Russia in the Baltic, including the joint setting of TACs, agreements on quotas and access arrangements to fish own quota, within the frame of the Joint Baltic Sea Fisheries Committee.

8. The Council passed a new Directive requiring EC member States to ensure compliance with flag State requirements in relation to maritime safety and implementing IMO measures. It requires Member States to inspect vessels to ensure compliance with international safety requirements, keep records of vessels, their registration information and maritime accidents, and to provide information regarding registered vessels. Member States are also required to present reports every 5 years to the Commission, regarding implementation of the Directive.

9. Dr.Joe Borg, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to the Council of Fisheries Ministers gave a speech regarding the problem of discards. He highlighted the complex reasons for discarding, and set out the stepwise approach adopted by the Commission, including the ban on high grading in the North Sea introduced from January 2009.

10. Dr.Joe Borg, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries gave a speech to the Council of Fisheries Ministers, regarding progress on the EC Integrated Maritime Policy, to mark EU Maritime Day. He set out the initiatives launched in the last year, including the Maritime Safety Package, the Maritime Transport Strategy for 2018, the Ports Communication the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, a strategy on Ship Recycling, the Green Paper on Adaptation to Climate Change, a Communication on Offshore Wind Energy, the Marine and Maritime Research Strategy, the Eurosur initiative for border patrols in the Mediterranean, and the recent launch of a debate on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

11. Dr.Joe Borg also gave a speech at the Seychelles Development Forum 2009, in collaboration with the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. He described some of the challenges facing small island developing states, including Seychelles, and the role of the EC in contributing to economic reform, highlighting the role of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement and EDF development funding. He outlined the current discussion set out in the Green Paper on CFP reform regarding alternative forms of arrangements with third countries that better meet the needs of the partner country and the EC industry.


Fish hygiene

12. Rapid alerts were notified to the Commission for failure to comply with health conditions in respect of 44 consignments of fishery products, including chilled shark, block frozen whole round squids, frozen octopus from India, frozen rudd from Russia, potentially fraudulent labelling of products from Ecuador, frozen swordfish loins from Seychelles, and frozen breaded saithe fillets from Poland.

13. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on a mission to Cape Verde in January 2009, following up a previous mission in 2002 regarding health conditions for the imports by the EC of fish and fishery products. The mission found significant shortcomings in the implementation of effective hygiene controls, particularly in relation to heavy metals and histamine and in identification of obvious negative conditions during inspections. The mission concluded that the CV authorities could not guarantee that conditions were at least equivalent to EC requirements.

14. The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on a mission to New Zealand in January 2009 regarding health conditions for the imports by the EC of fish and fishery products and bivalve molluscs. The mission found that the official controls were well structured and documented. However some long term hygiene deficiencies in establishments had not been noted by the Competent Authority. The mission team recommended that these should be addressed.

15. At the request of the Commission, the EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare reported on animal welfare aspects of stunning and killing of farmed tuna. Three methods were reviewed; 1) underwater shooting, 2) shooting from the surface, and 3) coring and spiking. Underwater shooting was found to cause fewer welfare problems. The study recommended that standard operating procedures for the slaughter process should be developed since they would help to prevent impaired welfare.

16. The Commission published a list of names and addresses of the contacts in EC member States and applicant countries who act as coordinators for the "better training for safer food" initiative", see the following list:

AUSTRIA Mr Anton Bartl Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, Familie und Jugend Abt. IV/5 Radetzkystrasse 2, 1030 Wien Deputy: Mr Roland Vecernik same contact details anton.bartl@bmgfj.gv.at roland.vecernik@bmgfj.gv.at Tel.:+43(0)1 71100/4813 Fax:+43(0)1 7134404 1672 Tel.: +43(0)1 70007 33484 Fax: +43(0)1 7007 33409

BELGIUM Mr Ir. Bruno Debois Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain Directorarte General Control Policy CA Botanique - Food Safety Center Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 55 1000 Brussels bruno.debois@afsca.be Tel. : +32 2 211 86 33 Fax.:: +32 2 211 86 30

BULGARIA Ms Dr Iva Iantcheva Ministery of Agriculture and food 'Quality & safety of foods' directorate 55 Hristo Botev'Blvd 1040 Sofia IYancheva@mzh.government.bg Tel.: +359 2 985 11 309 Fax: +359 2 981 67 32

CYPRUS Ms Katia Stephanidou Veterinary Officer Ministery of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment Veterinary Services kstephanidou@vs.moa.gov.cy Tel: +357 22 805 203 + 357 99 478 375 Fax : +357 223 052 11 1417 Nicosia

CZECH REPUBLIC Ms Ivana Lepeskova Food Safety, Environment Development and Pollution Prevention Department at the Ministry of Agriculture - Food Authority, Tesnov 17, 11715 PRAGUE 1 ivana.lepeskova@mze.cz Tel: + 420 221 813 040 Fax: + 420 221 812 965

DENMARK Ms Inge Geest Ministery of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Danish Veterinary and Food Administration Mørkhøj Hovedgade 19 2860 Søborg kursusgruppen@fvst.dk Tel: +45 33 95 62 68 Fax: +45 33 95 60 70

ESTONIA Ms Heneli Lamp Head of Food Department, Veterinary and Food Board, Väike-Paala 3 11415 Tallinn Ms Raina Mõttus Chief Officer of Plant Health Service, Plant Protection Inspectorate Teaduse 2 Saku heneli.lamp@vet.agri.ee raina.mottus@plant.agri.ee Tel: +372 605 17 10 Fax: +372 621 14 41 Mobile: +372 52 76 399 Tel: +372 6712 629 Fax: +372 6 712 604 Mobile: +372 6 712 604

FINLAND Mr Pekka Pakkala Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira Mustialankatu, 3 FI-00790 Helsinki pekka.pakkala evira.fi Tel: +358 20 772 4301 Fax: +358 20 772 4277

FRANCE Mr Laurent Bazin Direction générale de l'alimentation 251, rue de Vaugirard 75732 PARIS cedex 15 Mr Jean-Bernard Baridon laurent.bazin@agriculture.gouv.fr Jeanbernard. baridon@dgccrf.finances.gouv.fr Tel: +33 ((0) 1 49 55 44 38 Fax: +33 (0) 1 49 55 59 48 Tel.: +33 (0) 1 44 97 03 98 Fax: +33 (0) 1 4497 30 33 Direction Générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes, Bureau de formation et du système d'information, Télédoc 212, 59, boulevard Vincent Auriol 75703 PARIS cedex 13

GERMANY Dr. Michael Winter Bundesministerium für Ernahrung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz Rochusstr. 1, D - 53123 Bonn EU-training@bmelv.bund.de Tel: +49 228 529 4646 Fax: +49 228 529 4942

GREECE Mrs. Mary Gianniou Ministery of Rural Development and Food Directorate General of Veterinary Services Animal Health Directorate 2 Acharnon St. EL - Athens P.C. 101 76 Mrs Maria Mavropoulou Same address as Mrs. Gianniou ka6u026@minagric.gr ka6u011@minagric.gr Tel: +30 210 8836030 Fax: +30 210 8252673 Tel: +30 0210 2125777 Fax: +30 0210 8252673

HUNGARY Mr Gábor Holló Division of Plant protection, Soil Conversation, and Agri-environment, Departement of Food Chain Control Ministery of Agriculture and Rural Development Kossuth L. tér 11 H-1055 Budapest and Dr. Marót Hibbey, DVM Division of Food and Feed Control Departement of Food Chain Control hollog@fvm.hu hibbeym@fvm.hu Tel: +36 1 301 43 15 Fax: +36 1 301 46 44 Tel: +36 1 301 46 99 Fax: +36 1 301 46 70 Ministery of Agriculture and Rural Development Kossuth L. tér 11

IRELAND Mr Peter Mullowney, Area 6 East, Agricultural House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 and Ms Cliona O'Reilly Food Safety Authority of Ireland Abbey Court, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1. peter.mullowney@agriculture.gov.ie training@fsai.ie Tel: +353 1 6072737 Tel: direct line +353-1-8171371 Fax: +353-1-8171271.

ITALY Ms Dr. Francesca Calvetti Ministero del Lavoro, della Salute e delle Politiche Sociali Via G. Ribotta 5, 00144 Roma f.calvetti@sanita.it Tel. + 39 0659946960 Fax. +39 0659943491

LATVIA Ms Tatjana Pastare Head of Training Peldu street 30, Rig, LV-1050 tatjana.pastare@pvd.gov.lv Tel.: +371 670 27 573 Fax: +371 673 22 727

LITHUANIA Ms Giedre Ciuberkyte Deputy Head of International Relations Departement of the State food and Veterinary Service of Lithuania Siesiku 19 07170 Vilnius-10, Lithuania gciuberkyte@vet.lt Tel. +370 5 249 16 48 Fax. +370 5 240 43 62

LUXEMBOURG OSQCA - Organisme pour la sécurité et la qualité de la chaine alimentaire Mr Camille Strottner / Mrs Nathalie Welschbillig 6 Boulevard Royal L - 2449 Luxembourg secretariat@osqca.etat.lu (Mrs Strottner) and formations@osqca.etat.lu (Mrs Welschbillig) Tel. : +352 478 3542 Fax: +352 24 87 31 58

MALTA Mr John Attard Kingswell Chairman Food Safety Commission Public Health Department, Rue d'Argens, Gzira john.attard-kingswell@gov.mt Tel.: +356 21 33 22 25 +356 21 33 40 93 Fax.: +356 21 34 47 67

NETHERLANDS Mr Dick Schumer DVM vwancpsaferfood@vwa.nl Tel: +31 70 448 44 37 Ministery of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Departement of Human Resource Management Co-ordinator Education & Training, National Contact Point EU-Program 'Better training for safer Food' P.O. box 19506 2500 CM The Hague Fax: +31 70 448 48 61

POLAND Mr Jerzy Mitjans Szalapski General Veterinary Inspectorate, Legal and Organising Office, Ul. Wspólna 30, 00-930 Warszawa, and Ms Anna Gozdalik Chief Sanitary Inspectorate jerzy.mitjans@wetgiw.gov.pl a.gozdalik@gis.gov.pl Tel.: +48 22 623 21 48 Fax.: +48 22 623 22 63 Tel: +48 22 536 13 24

PORTUGAL Contact Point 1 Ms Ana Cristina Ucha Lopes Veterinary Services of Portugal Training Departement Largo da Academia Nacional de Belas Artes, nº 2, 1249-105 Lisboa Contact Point 2 Gabinete de Planeamento e Políticas - Direcção de Serviços de Normalização e Segurança Alimentar Rua Padre António Vieira, n°1 1099-073 Lisboa auchalopes@dgv.min-agricultura.pt dsnsa@gpp.pt Tel.: +351 21 476 74 00 Fax: +351 21 474 36 11 Tel.: +351 21 387 68 77 Fax.: +351 21 386 66 50

ROMANIA Mr Andrei-Ion Hanganu Negustori 1B street, sect. 2 023951 Bucharest hanganu@ansv.ro Tel: +40 21 315 78 75 Fax: +40 21 312 49 67 (to att. of Mr Hanganu

SLOVAKIA Dr. Gabriela Sabolova IVVL, Cesta pod Hradovou 13/A, 041 77 Kosice sabolova@ivvl.sk Tel: 00421557969118 Fax: 00421557969166

SLOVENIA Ms Suzana Marolt Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenija for Agriculture, Forestery and Food Parmova 33 Ljublana suzana.marolt@gov.si Tel: +386 1 434 57 00 Fax: +386 1 434 57 17

SPAIN D. Milagros Nieto Martinez Subdirectora General de Coordination de Alertas y Programación del Control Oficial Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición C/Alcalá 56, 4 a planta 28071 Madrid D. Juan Antonio Robles Martínez Subdirector General de Explotaciones y Sistemas de Trazabilidad Dirección General de Recursos Agrícolas y Ganaderos Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino C/Alfonso XII n° 62, 2a Planta, 28071 Madrid mnietom@msc.es formacionue@marm.es Tel: +34 91 338 04 96 Fax: +34 91 338 02 38 Tel: +34 91 347 69 19 Fax: +34 91 347 69 69

SWEDEN Mr Per Gustavsson Food Control Division of the National Food Administration, Box 622, 751 26 Uppsala per.gustavsson@slv.se Tel: +46 18 17 56 67

UNITED KINGDOM Mr Robert Pilling Enforcement Support Division Local Authority Support and Diversity Branch Floor 5c Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6NH Robert.Pilling@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or eutraining@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 7276 8436 Fax: +44 (0)20 7276 8463

CROATIA Ms Ksenija Boros, DVM Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management, Veterinary Directorate Vukovarska 78, 10000 Zagreb ksenija.boros@mps.hr Tel: +385 (0) 1 6106285 +385 (0) 1 6106207 Fax: +385 (0)1 6109207

FYROM Ms Svetlana Tomeska Mickova Ministery of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Veterinary Directorate Leninovastr. 2 1000 Skopje s.tomeska-mickova@veterina.gov.mk Tel: +389 231 12 265 Fax: +389 231 12 265 ext. 313

TURKEY Mr Ilhami Sahin Food Control Services Department Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs General Directorate of Protection and Control Akay Cad. No. 3 Bakanliklar, Ankara Mr Aykud Ucalli Acting Director of Food Control and Nutrition Branch under the Head of Department of Food and Control Services. Mr Baris Yilmas Same address ilhamis@kkgm.gov.tr aykudu@kkgm.gov.tr barisy@kkgm.gov.tr Tel: +90 312 425 43 90 Fax: +90 312 419 83 25