EU set to ban RP aqua products

The European Union (EU) is set to suspend the importation of aquaculture products from the Philippines due to the government’s failure to submit to the European Commission a required monitoring plan on harmful substances and residues which may be present on aquaculture exports.

The local aquaculture products which will be affected by the import suspension are prawn, milkfish and tilapia.

The suspension is expected to take effect once it is approved by the 20 EU commissioners and published in the EU official journal this month.

The country’s export earnings from aquaculture products to Europe last year amounted to over $10 million.

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II is appealing the planned suspension.

In a letter to EC Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, Roxas sought Lamy’s intercession for the removal of the Philippines from the list of countries facing suspension.

"Inclusion in the list would hurt the aquaculture industry which is essentially comprised of small and medium enterprises from Mindanao were the EU is involved in development projects," Roxas said.

Roxas appealed to the European Commission to "extend flexibility and kind consideration for $315,000 worth of shipments that are already in transit and due to arrive in Hamburg and Rotterdam this month."

The DTI chief gave his assurance that Philippine aquaculture exporters have diligently and consistently complied with the Commission’s regulation on harmful substances and residues, as proven in all the past shipments where there had been no case of detention due to contamination by harmful substances.

"The Philippines will be submitting the required residue monitoring plan to the EU this week," Roxas said.