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Ref:642/03 |
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Thailand
- Mar 28, 2003 |
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Asean shrimp group says EU
ban unfair
Counters with
call for cutback in exports |
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The Asean Aquaculture
Federation says the European Union has unfairly
discriminated against shrimp exports from the region,
and has called for a cutback in exports to the EU
until restrictions are eased.
The federation, which groups shrimp producers and
exporters of five countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, met in Ho Chi Minh
City last week to discuss the EU rules.
Somsak Paneetatayasai, president of the Black Tiger
Shrimp Farmers, Producers and Exporters Association,
said the restriction was not fair and he favoured the
cessation of shrimp exports to the EU.
In a joint statement, the federation alleged that the
EU's imposition of ``zero tolerance'' for two
antibiotics, chloramphenicol and nitrofurans, had been
made in a non-transparent and discriminatory manner,
which did not comply with international standards and
could be a non-tariff barrier.
In addition, any shrimp consignments detected
containing antibiotic contamination would be destroyed
unconditionally and without any avenue for appeal at
the EU port of entry.
``As we are aware, under the regulations of the World
Trade Organisation, the importer has no authority to
destroy the products of other countries without prior
consent of the exporters,'' the statement said.
The meeting agreed to retaliate by trying to ban
exports of shrimp into the EU until the EU Food
Authority relaxed restrictions.
Members will urge local authorities to impose more
stringent laboratory controls and inspection measures
on all commodities, particularly food and feed
imported from the EU.
The retaliatory measures also include destroying food
and products from the EU testing positive for the two
antibiotics, chloramphenicol and nitrofurans, an
approach adopted by China.
A lawyer will be hired to file a lawsuit against the
EU and its port authorities.
Carlos Bernejo, head of the trade section at the
delegation of the European Commission to Thailand said
the EU had to destroy contaminated products to ensure
that they would not enter directly, or indirectly,
into the food chain as the substances were harmful to
humans.
He said the zero-tolerance policy was applied not only
in the EU but also in markets such as the United
States and Japan.
The only difference, he said, was that the EU had more
sophisticated machinery that was able to detect the
banned substances in very small quantities.
Mr Bernejo said the EU had no objection to countries
imposing stringent tests on imported products in a
non-discriminatory way as all countries had the duty
to protect their consumers' health.
``But if they check only products from the EU, it will
not be for health protection but would simply be a
non-tariff barrier,'' he said.
The so called ``zero tolerance'' policy reduced shrimp
shipments from Thailand to the EU to 6,000 tons last
year, compared with 14,000 tons in 2001, said Mr
Somsak. |
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