On Monday 27 November, the Europêche organisation criticised the regulation opening and providing for the management of EU autonomous tariff quotas for certain fishery products for 2024, 2025 and 2026 (see EUROPE 13301/14).
According to the European organisation, preferential access to the EU market “continues to be extended to products of questionable reputation, without any sustainability criteria”.
At issue: the new quotas for hake, flatfish and tuna loins. “Flatfish quotas in the EU are abundant and absolutely no shortage in raw material occurs”, says Europêche. There was no justification for maintaining a quota of 7,500 tonnes (t), according to the organisation. Similarly, the war in Ukraine is having an impact on the commercialisation of Pacific hake and Argentine hake, for which the 40,000 tonne quota, which mainly (95%) benefits Chinese production, “was no longer necessary”. Similarly, according to Europêche, the quota of 35,000 t for tuna loins, which is having a considerable impact on the European fleet, should have been reduced. China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have been allocated 98% of the tuna loins quota. Yet these countries are criticised for failing to comply with minimum global fisheries standards, protests Europêche.
Link to the text obtained by EUROPE: https://aeur.eu/f/9sg (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)