Brussels News in Brief - July 2020
The EU fishing opportunities for 2021
The European Commission (EC) has published the main points that will shape the proposals on fishing opportunities for 2021.
Member States, advisory councils, and stakeholders are invited to feedback to the Commission by 31 August 2020.
The stocks for which the Commission will need to consult with the UK on fishing opportunities for 2021 will be presented as a memo item pending the timing and outcome of the consultation.
The document is available to view on the EC website.
Fisheries Control Regulation
Discussions at European Parliament on the Fisheries Control Regulation continue to be very active and more than 1000 amendments were tabled to the new draft report.
The last debate focused on several issues such as traceability, the definition of small-scale fishing and CCTV.
Members of the EP want to reach a compromise to approve the legal text in the Fisheries Committee in late autumn.
More information about this initiative can be found on the European Parliament website.
Voluntary Sustainability Claims on Seafood Products – Online Workshop
A workshop on voluntary sustainability claims on seafood products has been organised by the EU Market Advisory Council (MAC).
The workshop will discuss voluntary sustainability claims on seafood products, such as ecolabels and Certification schemes, in order to potentially prepare advice to the European Commission on this topic.
The webinar will take place on 15 July. For more information on the event visit the MAC website.
Market Advisory Council: EU control and sanitary issues, consumer rules
A working group meeting was held to discuss consumer information.
Arranged by the EU Market Advisory Council it discussed among other issues nutritional labelling, particularly “nutriscores”; labelling of vegetarian and vegan products that imitate seafood products; plastics and Farm to Fork Strategy in relation to seafood.
Minutes of the meeting can be found on the Market Advisory Council website
Food safety: Commission urges CZECHIA to correctly apply EU rules on the performance of official controls
The Czech Republic are checking food products arriving from other European Union member states.
The country authorities have passed legislation for operators to formally notify, at least 24 hours in advance, the arrival of foodstuffs to the place of destination.
The Commission considers that the obligation to report the arrival of goods from another Member State must not be formal. They say the reporting of the arrival of such goods may be requested by the authority only on a risk basis.