Traceability of eel imports and exports in the EU

24.5.2018

Question for written answer E-002784-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ricardo Serrão Santos (S&D) , Clara Eugenia Aguilera García (S&D) , Linnéa Engström (Verts/ALE) , António Marinho e Pinto (ALDE) , Marco Affronte (Verts/ALE)

Europol has recently stated that an estimated 100 tonnes of glass eels illegally caught in the European Union are being smuggled into the Asian market, particular China, each year[1]. This would represent 25% of the annual catch of European eel, which means that clumping down on this smuggling is crucial for the European eel recovery plan.

According to the information collected, the glass eels are smuggled alive and introduced into areas flooded for rice cultivation so as to maintain the ecosystem where the local species of eel have disappeared and then caught as adults and reimported into the EU for human consumption.

Rules on the traceability of eels were laid down in Article 12 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007 of 18 September 2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel. Traceability, just like the exchange of information between Member States, is essential in monitoring and combating this form of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

How has the Commission ensured that Member States properly implement Article 12 of the regulation establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel?

• [1] https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/glass-eel-traffickers-earned-more-eur-37-million-illegal-exports-to-asia