EU may lift ban on Philippine prawns

The European Commission (EC) may soon lift its ban on aquaculture imports from the Philippines.

Ambassador Jan de Kok, head of the delegation of the EC to the Philippines said the Commission now considers as sufficient, the Philippine government’s aquaculture monitoring plans.

"The government’s monitoring residues in aquaculture products are adequate enough to enable it to propose re-listing the Philippines as a country eligible for aquaculture products," said de Kok.

In June, the EC banned to temporarily suspend Philippine aquaculture exports from entering the European Union market due to "insufficient guarantees" and untimely information presented by Philippine authorities about the monitoring of contaminants and harmful substances in aquaculture products.

The EC is expected to submit its proposal to re-list the Philippines to the EU member states in the standing committtee for the Food Chain and Animal Health. The next standing committee is scheduled for September 16 to 17.

The ban includes Philippine exports of prawns, milkfish and tilapia.

Export revenues from aquaculture products to Europe last year amounted to over $10 million.

Previously, Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II, appealed the 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 European Union is involved in development projects," Roxas said.

Roxas assured that Philippine aquaculture exporters have diligently and consistently complied with the EC’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 recommendation to suspend importation of Philippine aquaculture products came from the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection.