EU eco-label for fishery and aquaculture products

Subject: EU eco-label for fishery and aquaculture products

The common fisheries policy (CFP) should ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities contribute to long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

There are a number of eco-labels which are concentrated on a few EU markets and products. Compared globally with other sectors, eco-labels for fishery and aquaculture products have no particular stand-out characteristics.

On 18 May 2016 the Commission submitted a report to Parliament and the Council on options for awarding eco-labels for fishery and aquaculture products. Based on a study analysing existing eco- labels and a public consultation, the Commission put forward three options for measures which might be taken. One suggestion was the introduction of an EU-wide system for awarding eco-labels for fishery and aquaculture products. The Commission did not follow up any of the options.

(1) Is the idea of an EU eco-label for fishery and aquaculture products being followed up?

(2) Will this be the subject of a specific legislative proposal?

(3) If not, what alternatives are being explored?

Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2018)

Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 (1) committed the Commission to submitting to the European Parliament and to the Council a feasibility report on options for an eco-label scheme for fishery and aquaculture product. The Commission complied with this obligation by submitting the said report on 18 May 2016.

As regards follow-up in the European Parliament, the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) Committee Coordinators decided on 15 June 2016 not to take any action on this report. An exchange of views on this report also took place with the internal and external fisheries policy working group of the Council on 20 July 2016.

In the absence of any clear evidence of need for additional European Union (EU) action, the Commission has not followed up on the idea of setting up an EU eco-label for fishery and aquaculture products and no legislative proposal is planned on this matter.

The Commission is currently assessing the performance of eco-labels in the context of a pilot project on voluntary information on fishery and aquaculture products. The results of this assessment, which is expected to be finalised before the end of this year, will be presented to the European Parliament.

⋅1∙ Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and

aquaculture products, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1184/2006 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000, OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 1-21.