On 10 August, the European Commission adopted new harmonised rules for the weighing of fishery products across the EU, which will apply from January 2027. The aim is to simplify and streamline procedures while reducing the administrative burden for Member States and operators (see EUROPE 13893/12).
The main points of the text are as follows:
- Obligation to weigh and stronger traceability: the regulation specifies the information to be included in weighing records: operator, system used, vessel, CFR/IMO number, trip identification;
- Regulated weighing systems: all scales used must meet minimum requirements and be approved, calibrated and sealed in accordance with national law. In the event of a failure affecting the accuracy of the scale, the operator must use another approved system or stop weighing until repairs have been carried out. Certain failures must be reported to the authorities within 24 hours;
- Ice and water: the text lays down precise rules for deducting the weight of water and ice present on the products. In particular, it initially retains the reference to a 2% deduction, while allowing Member States to apply another rate in duly justified cases;
- Frozen products: a specific sampling system is provided for certain frozen products, notably small pelagics and demersal fish landed on pallets, as well as certain large pelagics from tropical tuna fisheries.
Common sampling plans are established to allow, in certain situations, each product not to be weighed individually. This concerns in particular small pelagics, certain catches intended for industry and certain demersal fish landed in standardised boxes.
The regulation details how the total weight is to be determined when catches are landed unsorted. The calculation may in particular be based on weighing containers with deduction of tare, on conveyor-belt or batch systems, or on weighbridges.
The regulation sets out the situations in which a derogation allows catches to be weighed on board, at landing or after transport, on the basis of approved plans.
This text follows the revision of the fisheries control regulation, which entered into force on 9 January 2024.
Link to the regulation: https://aeur.eu/f/n4d (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)