WRITTEN QUESTION E-3961/97 by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission (12 December 1997)

Subject: Fish imports from third countries

On the basis of Decision 97/296 ((OJ L 122, 14.5.1997, p.21. )), after 1 July 1998 imports of fish and fishery products will be possible only from countries meeting harmonized requirements.

1. Can the Commission publish a list of countries which have applied for harmonization?

2. Can the Commission indicate which applications from countries will fail straight away because they do not meet the formal requirements?

3. Can the Commission indicate a timescale for the inspection visits to be made?

4. Can the Commission give guarantees that all applications will be dealt with in good time? If not, what policy will the Commission adopt for countries still being considered on 1 July 1998?

5. Can the Commission indicate its implementing costs involved in this import policy, in the short term in relation to the implementation of the harmonization system and in the longer term for the continuation of the system?

6. Does the Commission consider that raw products which will definitely undergo heat treatment during processing in the EU before they are placed on the market must still satisfy the full harmonization requirements? If so, does the Commission recognize that fish processing could disappear from the EU?

7. Does the Commission consider that in certain countries it could be preferable to approve a limited number of establishments rather than attempting to achieve full harmonization immediately?

8. Would it be possibile to safeguard the import of certain raw materials if the processing establishments in the EU are asked for guarantees with regard to processing?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (23 February 1998)

Import conditions for fishery products from third countries were laid down by the Council on 22 July 1991 in its Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products ((OJ L 268, 24.9.1991. )) and in particular, in Article 11.

1. Given the large number of applications, the list of third countries applying for approval for imports of fish products into the Community is constantly evolving and currently only a small number of these applications include all the necessary information and documentation to evaluate the sanitary situation in these countries. The Commission, however, informed all trading partners in writing of the need for this information if they want to continue exporting after 1 July 1998.

2. There is no application which will fail straight away either for not meeting the formal requirements or for any other reason. If the application is incomplete, the Commission will request the third country in question to forward all the necessary information to complete the file.

3. The Commission is not currently able to give an indication of the timetable for these visits. They will be considered in conjunction with other demands upon its control and inspection services, during the development of the mission programme for the first part of 1998.

4. Following points 1 and 2, the Commission cannot give any guarantees about whether all the applications will be dealt with before 1 July 1998, because in the majority of the cases it is necessary to obtain more information from the third countries and the information has then to be evaluated. However, as soon as the necessary data has been forwarded, the Commission will work to meet the July deadline.

5. The main objective of the sanitary policy (internal production and imports) is to ensure consumers' health and to supply them with imported fishery products responding to the same high sanitary standards as those produced inside the Community. The Commission is not in a position to evaluate the cost of the implementation of this sanitary policy.

6. and 8. The Commission evaluated the possibility to authorise a derogation for imports of fresh frozen products, so as to permit their entry into the Community to undergo heat treatment in European establishments before they are placed on the market. This question was presented to the Member States in the meeting of the standing veterinary committee of 1-2 July 1997 but was rejected by the majority of Member States.

7. Article 11 of Directive 91/493/EEC does indeed envisage the approval of a limited number of establishments.