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Parliamentary question - E-008404/2016Parliamentary question
E-008404/2016

Fraudulent labelling of fish in the EU

Question for written answer E-008404-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
José Blanco López (S&D)

In answer to my Question E-000149/2016 on fraud in the labelling of fish, the Commission said that a ‘project for sampling in view of DNA identification of fish species is planned for 2016’.

Since I submitted that question, further studies have continued to highlight the seriousness of consumer fraud over fish in the EU such as that revealed by the NGO Oceana in September 2016, which highlighted ‘errors’ in 98% of bluefin tuna served in Belgian restaurants, or that carried out in 2014 by the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, which concluded that 32.5% of albacore in Spain was actually being substituted by other fish.

This harms not only consumers but also traditional sustainable industry, such as the mussel sector in my region, Galicia, as I explained in my questions E-006052/2014 and E-007653/2014.

— What progress has been made on the sampling project for DNA identification of fish species this year?— Has the Commission implemented, or does it plan to implement, any new measures to ensure consumers are provided with reliable information?— What initiatives has the Commission come up with to guarantee the reliability of information on the species and origin of processed or preserved products?