Food Law News - EU - 1997
1 August 1997: FISH - Temporary ban on imports of fishery products from Bangladesh, India and Madagascar
Commission Release (IP/97/738 ), 1 August 1997
Temporary ban on imports of fishery products from Bangladesh, India and Madagascar
In the interest of health and safety of consumers, total bans on the importation of fishery products from Bangladesh, India and Madagascar have been decided this week by the European Commission. The decisions result from visits by inspectors from the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office, who recently inspected fish processing plants in the three countries concerned. The inspections showed serious deficiencies in the structure of establishments, the hygiene quality of raw material, and in processing operations. They also showed that the level of control by the national authorities was insufficient. The latter was an important factor in the decision to opt for total bans.
The bans have immediate effect (30 July 1997 in the case of Bangladesh and 1 August 1997 in the case of India and Madagascar), with the exception that fishery products which are in shipment to the Community may be admitted before 15 August 1997, subject to satisfactory sample testing. The latter date will be reconsidered by the Standing Veterinary Committee and the Commission next week, and may be extended. The value of the main fish and fish product imports in 1996 into the EU from those countries is amounted to approximately ECU 320 million.
The three decisions are temporary in nature and will be reviewed before 30 November 1997.
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