According to Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of the delegation of the European Commission (EC) to the Philippines, the documentation provided by the Philippine government meets the requirements of the EC. He further told that now Manila can export its fisheries products to the EU as long as necessary documentation has been provided.
The EC official noted told that Manila’s document showed clearly that the raw materials used for processed fish products were not caught illegally. Francisco Buencamino, executive director, Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines, earlier said that one of the requirements of the EU is the list of authorized signatories who will issue catch certificates. He added that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) had been stringent particularly on the catch certification process.
Earlier, the Philippine government and TCAP had requested the European Commission to consider delaying the implementation of the IUU fishing scheme, citing increase in costs. Under a regulation adopted by the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on September 30 last year, EU importers of processed fish products will have to submit a statement issued by the processing company of the exporting country providing information establishing the link between the processed fish products and the fish used as raw material. The main reason of certification process is to halt the import of IUU fishery products into European countries.
