Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Thursday 12 May, the European Parliament will call for tougher measures on the traceability of fisheries and aquaculture products in restaurants and retail.
Following a plenary session debate on this issue on Monday evening (oral question on behalf of its fisheries committee), Parliament will adopt a resolution by Alain Cadec (EPP, France) on Thursday expressing concern at the findings of a number of studies which show that fish products sold on the EU market, including in the restaurants of the EU institutions, are often mislabelled (see EUROPE 11423 on the Oceana study). Checks carried out by the Commission have demonstrated that the situation is hardly one for huge concern, with only 6% of white fish being mislabelled (see EUROPE 11446).
In its draft resolution, Parliament considers that an EU-wide ecolabel for fisheries and aquaculture products, the criteria for which should be further discussed at EU level, could contribute to strengthening traceability and the provision of transparent information to consumers. The European maritime and fisheries fund (EMFF) could fund such a label, MEPs say.
Improving traceability. Parliament will say once more that the intentional and fraudulent mislabelling of fish species is a breach of EU regulations, including of the common fisheries policy, and may constitute a criminal offence under national law. MEPs will call on member states to strengthen national controls, including on non-processed fish for restaurants and the catering sector, in an effort to “tackle fraud and identify the stage in the supply chain where fish is mislabelled”. Parliament will call on the Commission and member states to consider measures that could be put in place to improve the traceability of fishery and aquaculture products. It also backs the creation of a working group to harmonise the implementation of traceability in all member states and the setting-up of an external structure enabling the certification of voluntary claims for fishery and aquaculture products on the EU market.
In order to enhance traceability, Parliament will call on the Commission to make use of the potential of DNA bar-coding, which could assist in the identification of species by DNA sequencing.
Minimum standards for eco-labelling. Parliament will call on the Commission to submit a feasibility report on options for an eco-label scheme for fishery and aquaculture products. MEPs argue that there is a need to establish minimum standards for eco-labelling and consider that the key elements of the labelling system must ensure “transparency, independence and credibility of the certification process”. Parliament will ask for an in-depth analysis of the benefits of setting up an EU-wide labelling system.
Within the context of voluntary labelling, member states will be encouraged to state all available information that enables the consumer to make an informed choice. A “sound European label policy in the fisheries sector would be a key factor in boosting the economic development of coastal communities, in recognising the best practices of fishermen and in underlining the quality of the products they supply to consumers”, states the draft resolution.
Confusion. Parliament will call on the commission to adopt measures to remedy the confusion caused by the current labelling requirements based on Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) areas and sub-areas, which is particularly serious in the case of catches in some sub-areas of area 27, where, inter alia, Galicia and the Gulf of Cadiz are labelled as “Portuguese Waters”, Wales as “Irish Sea” and Brittany as “Bay of Biscay”. Parliament stresses the need to include information on the origin of fishery products in a transparent and clear manner.
Lastly, Parliament will welcome the launch by the Commission of a pilot project aimed at introducing a public database which will provide information on commercial denominations in all the EU official languages.
No need to panic. During Monday evening's debate, Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella said that it is better to act on evidence rather than on emotion, referring to the Oceana study which claimed that a third of the fish served in restaurants close to the institutions in Brussels was mislabelled. He said that the actual level of mislabelling is “much lower” than the figure published by Oceana. Vella also made the point that an EU-wide eco-label “would not necessarily strengthen traceability”. The Commission, indeed, is finalising the feasibility report on options for a Union-wide eco-label scheme for fishery and aquaculture products. The debate will only begin in earnest in the Council and the Parliament after publication of this report. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)