. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/110 
2 June 2006 
 (06-2667) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  (+32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X  ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   This measure 
has also been notified under the SPS Agreement. 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.  
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Aquatic organisms, 
including fish, shellfish and other invertebrates and aquatic plants 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a 
Council Regulation (…..) concerning use of alie n and locally absent species in aquaculture, 
(COM(2006) 154 final, 4 April 2006) (32 pag es, in English, French and Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   It is proposed to establish at the level of the EU member States a 
system of permits for non-native species whic h are introduced for aquaculture.  Under the 
proposed measures, all projects to introduce a non-native species, or a native species which 
is locally absent from an area, would have to be submitted for approval to a national 
advisory committee, which would determin e whether the proposed introduction was 
'routine' (i.e. from a known source of aquatic orga nisms classified as low risk) or not.  In the 
case of non-routine introductions, an environm ental risk assessment would have to be 
carried out.  Only movements which are assessed  as low risk (or reduced to low risk by 
application of mitigation procedures or technol ogies) would be granted a permit which can 
cover a five year period.  The proposal requires quarantine procedures for non-routine introductions and also sets out a number of requirements concerning pilot release, 
contingency plans, monitoring and the keeping of national registers. G/TBT/N/EEC/110 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   It 
is proposed to regulate the introduction of non-native and locally absent species in aquaculture so as to prevent their possible ne gative impact on the surrounding environment.  
While non-native species have played an important  role in the growth of aquaculture in the 
EU, in some cases such introductions can have  an adverse impact on ecosystems and cause 
significant loss of biodiversity.  These measures would therefore regulate the introduction of 
such species through the setting up of a pe rmit system.  The proposal builds on the 
voluntary codes of practice formulated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the European Inland Fish ery Advisory Commission (EIFAC/FAO).  The 
EU 2002 Strategy for Sustainable Developm ent of European Aquaculture included a 
commitment to address the possible negative consequences of such movements.  The 
proposal leads from the EC’s internati onal commitments under the Convention on 
Biological Diversity. 
8. Relevant documents:   Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning use of alien and 
locally absent species in aqu aculture (available in English, French and Spanish). 
An impact assessment is available separat ely in English as European Commission 
Document SEC(2006) 421, 4 April 2006. 
When adopted it will be published in the Official Journal available at: 
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/index.html  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Late in 2006  
Proposed date of entry into force:  20 days after the date of publication in the 
Official Journal of the  European Union  
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of circulation 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  (+32) 2 299 80 43 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int