European Union (EU) - Export requirements for fish and seafood

Important note

The export requirements library outlines destination country requirements you need to meet when exporting. They include importing country conditions the Canadian government has accepted for issuing export certificates. Their purpose is to facilitate access to overseas markets for Canadian exporters.

The destination country conditions provided below are based on information available to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at the time of posting. Before you commence full-scale production and export your products to a foreign market, it is your responsibility to confirm the current import, regulatory and commercial requirements with the importer and the foreign competent authority. You are responsible for ensuring that your exports comply with applicable Canadian and importing country requirements. When you request an export certificate, the CFIA may request that you provide written documentation or verification to confirm that your products have met Canadian and importing country requirements.

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Eligible/ineligible product

EU export certificates for fish and seafood refer to a list of Harmonized System (HS) code(s) which cover the types of aquatic animals and their products which can be certified using the certificates identified in this document. It is the responsibility of the exporter to ensure that the product being exported will be covered by the certificates issued by the CFIA. The list of HS codes includes: 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305, 0306, 0307, 0308, 0511, 1504, 1516, 1518, 1603, 1604, 1605 and 2106.

Eligible

  • Fish and seafood covered by the HS codes listed above

Ineligible

  • Seal products

Note: Chinese scallops that are transformed (scallop adductor muscle), wild caught (not from aquaculture), with certain anatomic limitation (roe-off), and with certain fishing conditions, are eligible so long as all relevant hygienic practices, including microbiological and biotoxin testing requirements for LBM (as defined in the EU legislation), are met. Live and unprocessed whole scallops from China are not eligible for export certification to the EU.

Public health related export requirements – apply to all exports to the EU

1. Pre-export approvals by competent authority of importing country

Establishments

Establishments must appear on the appropriate establishment list administered by Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG-SANTE). The lists pertinent to fish and seafood are available on the EU website for Establishment Lists

  • Select Countries: Canada and Chapter: Food to find the following associated lists:
    • LBM – Live bivalve molluscs
      For exporting live/chilled bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates or marine gastropods (excluding the adductor muscle of Pectinidae [scallops])

      Live products must come from a harvest area that also appears on this list. Harvest area(s) must be indicated on the EU health certificate exactly as they appear on the list

    • FFP – Fishery products
      For exporting all other frozen or processed fish and seafood products, including the adductor muscle of Pectinidae (scallops)

Cold storage warehouses storing and handling fish and seafood products as part of the supply chain for export to the EU are also required to be on the appropriate EU lists identified above.

Note: DG-SANTE has added the letter "F" as a suffix to the old registration number/unique establishment identifier of certain registered fish processing establishments appearing on the list of Canadian exporters approved for the EU. This was necessary because these fish processing establishments shared the same old registration number/unique establishment identifier with other Canadian establishments appearing on lists of establishments approved to export other commodities, such as dairy products, to the EU. This suffix was added only for the purpose of maintaining the list. Exporters can maintain their label as is and do not need to add the "F" to the information recorded on the certificate.

Procedure to update EU approval lists

  • Establishments and cold storage warehouses wishing to be added to any of the EU approval lists must be in compliance with Canadian regulations and be licensed under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) for the required activity and appear on the list of Canadian fish and seafood establishments approved for export. Contact your local CFIA office if your establishment is not on the list.
  • To request inclusion on any of the EU approval lists, submit the following information to your local CFIA office:
    • Establishment identification (ID) number
    • Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence number
    • Company name as it should appear on the export list. The options are:
      • Legal name of business as it appears on the SFC licence, or
      • Legal name of business (operating name), or
      • Legal name of business (vessel name)
    • Physical site address of the establishment. For vessels, this should be the primary docking location.
    • Applicable establishment type(s):
      • PP – Processing Plant (fishery products)
      • FV – Factory Vessel (fishery products)
      • ZV – Freezer Vessel (fishery products)
      • RV – Reefer Vessel (fishery products)
      • CS – Cold Storage (fishery products)
      • DC – Dispatch Centre (live bivalve molluscs)
      • Z – Production Areas (live bivalve molluscs)
    • Name of the EU approval list(s) you are requesting inclusion on (FFP - fishery products and/or LBM - live bivalve molluscs)
    • Factory vessels, freezer vessels, and reefer vessels must also provide the following information:
      • vessel name
      • IMO number
      • national registration number
      • copy of Certificate of Registry from Transport Canada

Note: all additions, amendments and deletions will be submitted to the EU for approval. Approval Time frames may vary depending upon circumstances beyond the control of the CFIA.

Effective dates for additions, deletions and modifications to EU approval lists

Additions
  • Processing for export to the EU may only commence following the date that CFIA submits the request for addition to DG-SANTE. The processor should confirm that a submission has been made prior to processing for the EU market
  • EU health certificates may only be issued following the publication date of the submission on the relevant approval list
Modifications
  • Where a request is made to modify any information published on any EU approval list (eg. name change), the establishment must ensure that all documentation and labelling identifies the old information recorded on the relevant EU approval list until such time as the list is officially amended
Deletions
  • Deletions are considered to be effective immediately upon submission to DG-SANTE. EU health certificates may only be issued until the last day prior to the date on which the request has been submitted to the European Commission

2. Product specifications

Where EU requirements differ from Canadian requirements, exporters must prepare and implement effective written controls that demonstrate compliance with the additional conditions agreed upon by the CFIA and the foreign competent authority of the importing country. Refer to the Food Export Control Policy and Guide for Preparing an Export Control Plan (ECP) for more information.

Microbiological requirements

Micro-organisms/their toxins, metabolites
  • Fish and seafood products intended for human consumption must meet the relevant microbiological criteria stipulated in the annexes of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
    • Please note that sampling and testing procedures (for example, testing as individual versus composite samples) may differ from Canadian requirements – refer to the regulation for more information
    • The regulation also requires food business operators manufacturing ready-to-eat foods, which may pose a Listeria monocytogenes risk for public health, to sample and test the processing areas and equipment for Listeria monocytogenes as part of their sampling schemes

Parasites

  • Parts of fish which contain visible live or dead nematodes are to be removed and must not be marketed. Processors should make every effort to achieve this through a non-destructive examination of the fish and fish products during processing by qualified personnel. The procedure must be performed under good light conditions, including, if necessary, candling
  • When processing conditions do not allow for the examination of each individual fish (example: mechanical evisceration and/or filleting operations), the processor must develop a sampling plan for each batch of processed fish. The sampling plan for mechanically eviscerated fish must include a representative number of samples of not less than 10 fish per batch
  • The following fish products must be subjected to freezing at a temperature of not more than –20°C in all parts of the product for not less than 24 hours:
    • fish to be consumed raw or almost raw
    • The following species, if they are to undergo a cold-smoking process at which the internal temperature of the fish is less than 60°C:
      • herring, mackerel, sprat, and (wild) Atlantic and Pacific salmon
    • marinated and/or salted herring where this process is insufficient to destroy the larvae of nematodes
  • It is recommended that for salted fish, the ratio of minimum salt content in the fish tissue and the minimum storage time comply with the following:
    • 20% salt content in fish tissue stored for 21 days
    • 15% salt content in fish tissue stored for 28 days
    • 12% salt content (with sugars) stored for 35 days

      Note: the required storage time does not include transportation time.

  • It is recommended that for marinated fish, the salt content, vinegar content, and duration of marination must comply with the following:
    • water contained in the tissue of the fish must contain at least 2.4% vinegar (as acetic acid) and 6% salt (sodium chloride)
    • pH must not exceed 4.2
    • fish must have been marinated for at least 35 days prior to further processing
  • The manufacturer must have documentation indicating the type of process that the above fishery products have undergone

Maximum levels for chemical contaminants

Food additives
Contaminants (heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs, PAHs)
Therapeutants and antibiotics

Note: As per Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2652 provides an exemption to fishery products from wild catch from the additional requirements laid down in Articles 6 to 12 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2292, with respect to chemical residues and contaminants requirements.

3. Additional requirements

Note: different EU Member States may have additional requirements. Exporters should contact their importers to determine if there are other country specific requirements that apply to their exports.

EU traceability requirements related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

  • The EU has established a system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It is formally known as Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008
  • The EU IUU regulation will require exporting countries (such as Canada) to provide the EU with a government-validated Catch Certificate attesting that fish and fish products originate from non-IUU (legal) fisheries
  • Compliance with the EU regulation is mandatory for anyone in the fishing industry who exports their products to the EU
  • It generally includes all marine fishery products including live, fresh, chilled, frozen, prepared and preserved product forms
  • All freshwater fisheries and aquaculture products are exempt from this regulation, as well as some forms of molluscs such as scallops, mussels, oysters and snails
  • Annex I of the Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 has the list of fishery products excluded from the scope of implementation of the catch certificate
Obtaining a Catch Certificate
  • In Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Catch Certification Office (CCO) is the competent authority that issues Catch Certificates, including the Foreign Catch Export Certificate (in compliance with Annex IV of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008) via the Fisheries Certification System (FCS). For more information on the process and to register in the Fisheries Certificate System, visit the DFO website
  • Canadian exporters who import raw materials or fishery products from a third country, and export them to the EU can use the FCS to apply for a Foreign Catch Export Certificate
  • It is important for all exporters to register and create their company profiles in the Fisheries Certificate System well in advance of applying for a Catch Certificate
  • The approval of registration and company profiles can take up to 2-3 weeks to be entered in the system
  • We also encourage you to visit the DFO Exporting and importing fish webpage, for the most up-to-date information on EU fishing regulations and the Catch Certification Program

Personal consignments of products of animal origin

  • As per Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2122, travellers may only bring in or send to the EU personal consignments of fishery products (including fresh, dried, cooked, cured or smoked fish, and certain shellfish such as prawns, lobsters,  non-live mussels and non-live oysters) provided that:
    • fresh fish are eviscerated
    • fishery products do not exceed 20 kilograms (per person), or the weight of one fish, whichever weight is the highest
  • Travellers may only bring in or send to the EU other animal products such as live oysters, live mussels and snails provided that:
    • their combined weight does not exceed 2 kilograms per person
  • Fishery products that meet these requirements for personal consignments are exempt from certification requirements
Export of sport-caught fish in excess of 20 kilograms from recognized British Columbia sport fish lodges
  • EU requirements specify that citizens of the EU require a health certificate issued by the inspection authorities in the country of origin if they return home with more than 20 kilograms of certain types of fish for their own personal consumption
  • In order to aid sport fishing establishments and travellers visiting Canada from the European Union, the following procedures are in place:
Raw sport-caught fish (frozen steaks and fillets)
  • Fish caught by a person holding a valid recreational fishing licence may be certified for export to the EU for personal consumption if:
    • the fish was caught in Canadian waters while the licence is valid, in accordance with Canadian regulations on sport fishing, and that possession limits have been respected
    • the fish has been eviscerated under sanitary conditions
    • the fish is not a toxic species nor a species that may contain biotoxins
    • the fish arrives in the European Union within one month following the last date of validity of the recreational fishing licence
    • the fish is not intended to be marketed
    • the fish is certified for the purpose of "human consumption" and the certificate must be issued through TRACES NT
  • The traveller must include a copy of the recreational fishing licence with the accompanying certificate
  • More information on sport fishing in British Columbia (BC) can be found on the BC Recreational fishing (sport fishing) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada Sport fishing in British Columbia
Processed sport-caught fish (canned, smoked or other preparations)
  • A person who wishes to receive a certificate for sport fish weighing more than 20 kilograms that is canned, smoked or processed in any other form of ready-to-eat (RTE) fish, must have the fish processed at a federally licensed establishment
  • As an option, the operator of the fishing lodge may partner with a CFIA licensed fish processing establishment to have sport-caught fish custom processed as a means of obtaining a fish export certificate
  • The CFIA is responsible for issuing certificates for sport-caught fish that is custom processed at a federally licensed establishment as canned, smoked or any other form of RTE fish
  • A person requesting a fish export certificate from the CFIA should contact the nearest inspection office as soon as possible with the details of the consignment to make arrangements for the fish to be certified
  • Note that a person requesting a fish export certificate from the CFIA is required to pay the appropriate inspection service fee for that certificate

Safe Food for Canadian (SFC) licensed vessels landing fish in EU

The guidance provided in this section applies to certification of fish products landed by SFC licensed fishing vessels at a Border Control Post (BCP) which follows EU certification requirements.

Eligible
  • Products to which only Public Health attestations apply
Ineligible
  • Products to which Animal Health attestations apply

The vessel harvesting and processing activities are being conducted under Canadian jurisdiction and are subject to the requirements of the SFCR. Product export certification controls and procedures must be documented in the PCP of the licensed vessel.

Export certificates will be issued using TRACES NT. CFIA reserves the right to require that the product be presented for inspection in Canada, if in the opinion of the inspector, a product inspection is necessary prior to validating the requested certificate.

If products to be certified are from a Canadian factory vessel which is landing the product directly in the EU or in a transit country, the following restrictions will apply:

  • If the products to be certified only require public health attestations, they can be certified using the existing process for issuance of certificates for products from Canadian factory vessels landing product directly in the EU or in a transit country
  • If the products to be certified require both public health and animal health attestations, the decision as to whether the certificate can be issued will rest with the CFIA veterinary inspector. It is imperative that industry reach out to the CFIA prior to finalizing plans for the factory vessel in order to determine if a veterinary inspector will be able to issue the required certificate

Requests for product certification are to follow established procedures and are to be made through the submission of the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT – Fish and Seafood form.

  • Also refer to the above link for detailed instructions on how to complete the certificate request form

Note: CFIA will make every reasonable effort to validate the submitted certificate as quickly as possible.

Specific guidance for completion of the TRACES NT certification submission for SFC licensed vessels landing fish in EU

Box I.11 – Place of dispatch: name and address on the SFC licence of the vessel

Box I.13 – Place of loading: name and address on the SFC licence of the vessel

Note: if a vessel is chosen as the place of loading in Box I.13, the vessel must be selected from the list of "operators" as opposed to the list of "controlled locations". The "valid" designation for the profile will not appear if the "controlled location" selection is used when completing this field.

Box I.14 – Date and time of departure: must not precede the date of validation of the certificate in TRACES NT

Box I.15 – Means of transport: will be completed as "vessel" and the information pertaining to the harvest vessel will be entered

Certification of fish landed by EU vessels, stored in Canada and exported to the EU for human consumption

The guidance provided in this section applies to certification of fish landed in Canada by vessels flying the flag of an EU member state, stored in bond in Canada, and then exported to the EU for human consumption. The cold storage facility is responsible to implement and comply with the requirements outlined in this section.

Eligible
  • Fish that are landed in Canada by vessels flying the flag of an EU member state, stored in bond in Canada, and then exported to the EU for human consumption in its frozen state
Ineligible
  • Fish that are landed in Canada by vessels flying the flag of an EU member state that are imported (not stored in bond)
Unloading and storage requirements
  • The fish must be unloaded from an EU-approved vessel flying the flag of an EU member state
  • The manner in which the fish is unloaded must meet the requirements of the EU as laid down in Chapter II of Section VIII, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
  • The fish must not show signs of decomposition. If the fish is decomposed at the time of unloading, the shipment must be refused
  • The manner in which the fish is stored at the cold storage must meet the requirements as have been established under the Safe Food for Canadian Regulations
  • The cold storage operator will maintain a copy of these requirements and implement controls and procedures to verify that they have been met
Loading and transport of the fish for export

The manner in which the fish is loaded and transported must meet the following requirements:

  • If the fish is loaded directly onto a vessel, the vessel must appear on the appropriate establishment list administered by DG-SANTE
    • the fish must be loaded hygienically in compliance with the relevant requirements laid down in Chapters I and VIII of Section VIII of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
  • If the fish is to be loaded in a container, a truck, or an airplane, it must be handled in a manner which meets the requirements laid down in Chapter VIII of Section VIII of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
  • When the product is exported from Canada, it must be accompanied by the printout(s) of the fishing logbook(s) or relevant parts thereof which has been duly signed and dated by captain of the fishing vessel
Documentation requirements

The operator of the cold storage facility shall maintain the following documentation:

  • the relevant sections of the EU requirements for unloading, handling, storage, loading and transport of frozen fish products
  • the procedures to be followed, the person responsible, and the records to be maintained which verify that the EU requirements have been met during the unloading, handling, storage, loading and transport of the frozen fish products
  • records of all fish products landed, and all fish products shipped under the terms of this permission
  • records of the state of the fish at time of unloading
  • a copy of the log provided by the captain of the vessel. The log shall identify the species, quantity, fishing zone, date of harvest and weight by species of all fish landed and be signed and dated by the captain. This log will be requested for each landing of frozen fish. It may be provided in paper or electronic form. If provided in electronic form the signature must be electronically certified
  • a copy of all certificates issued by CFIA
  • a copy of all shipping documents issued in respect of product shipped
  • a copy of the request procedures to be followed when certificates are requested by CFIA, the person authorized to request the certificates, and the date of request and receipt of each certificate
  • any other documentation as requested by the inspector

Note: Enforcement of the documentation and controls established by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is the responsibility of CBSA.

4. Labelling, packaging and marking requirements

  • Inner packages and containers for all fishery products exported to the EU must be labelled to indicate the approval number (establishment ID number), and the word "Canada" or Canada's ISO code, "CA" – known as the identification mark
  • The approval number (establishment ID number), and the word "Canada" or Canada's ISO code, "CA", must be in close proximity, easy to understand and marked in a conspicuous place in such a way as to be easily visible, clearly legible and indelible. The information must be placed so that it is not confused with the product coding information
  • Depending on the presentation of different products of animal origin, the identification mark may be applied directly to the product, the wrapping or the packaging, or be printed on a label affixed to the product, the wrapping or the packaging. The mark may also be an irremovable tag made of a resistant material
  • For products of animal origin that are placed in transport containers or large packages and are intended for further handling, processing, wrapping or packaging in another establishment, the identification mark may be applied to the external surface of the container or packaging
  • When products of animal origin are placed in a package destined for direct supply to the final consumer, it is sufficient to apply the identification mark to the exterior of that package only

Additional labelling and packaging requirements for live bivalve molluscs

  • All parcels in a consignment of live bivalve molluscs must be labelled so that the original dispatch centre may be identified at all times during transport and distribution until retail sale
  • The following information must be displayed in a permanent and legible manner:
    • country of dispatch
    • species of bivalve mollusc (common name and scientific name)
    • establishment ID number
    • date of wrapping, comprising at least the day and the month
    • best before date
  • This information may be printed on the wrapping material or be put on a separate label which is then affixed to the wrapping material or put inside the wrapping. It may also be of a twist-tie or staple design; self-adhesive labels must not be used, unless they are not detachable. All types of labels must be for single use only and may not be transferred
  • The label must be durable and waterproof, and the information presented must be legible in easily decipherable characters and indelible
  • Live bivalve molluscs must be wrapped under satisfactory conditions of hygiene. The wrapping material or container must:
    • not impair the organoleptic characteristics of the live bivalve molluscs
    • not be capable of transmitting substances harmful to human health to the live bivalve molluscs
    • be strong enough to give adequate protection to the live bivalve molluscs
  • Oysters must be wrapped with the concave shell downwards
  • All wrappings of live bivalve molluscs must be sealed and remain sealed from the dispatch centre until delivery to the consumer or retailer
  • All such products must be clearly labelled with the statement:

    "Live molluscs for immediate human consumption. Not to be relayed in Community waters."

  • All such products must be packed in packages of a size suitable for retail sale to restaurants or directly to the consumer

5. Documentation requirements

The EU health certificate is issued electronically through TRACES NT by the CFIA. If a paper copy is required for record purposes, a copy can be printed from TRACES NT by the exporter.

Aquatic animals or products of aquatic animals must still be in Canada at the time when the certificate is issued in TRACES NT. Once the certificate is issued, the signing date is automatically placed on the certificate. The date on the bill of lading of the product indicating when the product is exported from Canada to the EU must not be before the date of issuance on the certificate.

Certificate names as indicated in TRACES NT

The applicant must select the EU model certificate that corresponds to the product intended for export by selecting the appropriate HS code and then completing Part I. In TRACES NT, ensure that you choose the most recent version of the certificate model which identifies the EU regulation (2020/2235) and the name of the certificate as listed below. A replacement certificate cannot be issued for a shipment exported using an incorrect EU model certificate. If the certificate named below cannot be found, contact your local CFIA office.

  • (2020/2235) Live fish, live crustaceans and products of animal origin from those animals intended for HC (FISH-CRUST-HC)
    This certificate is for the export of all live or non-live, fresh, frozen or processed finfish and crustaceans.
  • (2020/2235) Model animal health/official certificate for the entry in the Union of live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods and products of animal origin from these animals intended for human consumption - (MODEL MOL-HC)
    This certificate is for the export of live or non-live, fresh, frozen or processed bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates or marine gastropods (including the adductor muscle of Pectinidae [scallops]).
  • (2020/2235) Fishery products intended for human consumption caught by vessels flying the flag of a Member State and transferred in third countries with or without storage – Model EU-FISH
    This certificate is for fish products that have been offloaded from an EU-listed vessel and are currently in storage at a licensed Canadian Cold Storage establishment.

The EU health certificate contain 2 parts in TRACES NT. Part I is to be completed by the applicant. Part II of the certificate must be completed by the CFIA.

Part II of the certificate, where the attestations are located, is made up of both public health and animal health attestations. When only the public health attestations apply, a CFIA inspector can sign the certificate. If both public health and animal health attestations apply, then only a CFIA veterinary inspector can sign the certificate. This does not apply to the following certificate, which is signed by inspectors:

  • (2020/2235) Fishery products intended for human consumption caught by vessels flying the flag of a Member State and transferred in third countries with or without storage – Model EU-FISH

Note: it is the responsibility of the exporter to ensure that Part I of the certificate is completed in a manner that will be accepted by the Border Control Post (BCP) of the importing country.

Exporters who submit a TRACES certificate which deviates from the guidance in this document will be required to provide official documentation issued by the foreign competent authority to demonstrate that the certificate will be accepted by the BCP.

Requesting an export certificate

The Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT– Fish and Seafood form is available at the following link: Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT – Fish and Seafood.

Also refer to the above link for detailed instructions on how to complete the certificate request form.

Replacement certificates

As per Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2235, replacement certificates for consignments of animals and goods intended for human consumption can only be issued in the case of administrative errors in the initial certificate.

A replacement certificate cannot be issued for errors in the initial certificate concerning the identification of the consignment, its traceability and the guarantees provided for in the initial certificate for the consignment.

Changes to the information concerning the consignee, the importer, the border control post of entry into the EU or the means of transport after the certificate has been issued may not require a replacement certificate. It is strongly recommended to work closely with your importer in the EU to reflect these changes in the common health entry document (CHED) generated by the importer.

If a replacement certificate is requested by a BCP of the importing EU member state, the CFIA local office may request for documentation issued by the foreign competent authority to demonstrate that the replacement certificate will be accepted by the BCP. The CFIA will consider the issuance of these replacement certificates on a case-by-case basis.

The TRACES NT system does not allow replacement certificates to be issued when a change in certificate model is required. Exporters are reminded to select the correct certificate model when submitting a certificate request. If the original issued certificate has been cloned by the importer to create the CHED, the TRACES NT system will not allow a replacement to be created until the cloned CHED has been deleted by the importer. It is the exporter's responsibility to communicate this with the importer.

6. Determining if animal health requirements apply to the aquatic animals or products of aquatic animals being exported

The applicant or exporter must be able to determine if animal health requirements apply to the shipment, which requires completion of Part B of the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT– Fish and Seafood form.

There are some exemptions that must be considered to determine if the animal health attestations on the certificate will apply to the aquatic animals or their products that are exported to the EU.

It will be extremely important to declare the accurate end use for the exported aquatic animals and their products. The choices are products for human consumption or for *further processing.

*Further processing means any type of measures and techniques, carried out before the placing on the market for human consumption, affecting anatomical wholeness, such as bleeding, evisceration, heading, slicing and filleting which produce waste or by-products which could cause a risk of disease spread.

Products that are certified with public health attestations only

When exporting the following aquatic animals or their products, only the public health requirements will apply:

  • live wild finfish or crustaceans and their products (non- live), when exported for human consumption or for further processing

or

  • products of wild molluscs (non-live), when exported for human consumption

    Interpretation: products of molluscs (non-live, listed, wild molluscs) which are exported to the EU and certified for human consumption and not destined for further processing in the EU

or

  • products of aquaculture finfish, molluscs and crustaceans, when exported for human consumption and not destined for further processing

    Interpretation: products of aquaculture finfish, molluscs and crustaceans which are exported to the EU and declared on the certificate as human consumption and not further processing

For products that only require public health attestations, applicants or exporters only need to complete Part A of the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT– Fish and Seafood form.

Products that are certified with public health AND animal health attestations

When exporting the following aquatic animals or their products, both public health and animal health requirements will apply:

  • Live wild molluscs that are *EU listed or EU vector species and certified for human consumption or for further processing
  • Products of wild molluscs (non-live) that are *EU listed species and certified for further processing
  • Live aquaculture finfish, molluscs and crustaceans that are *EU listed or EU vector species and certified for human consumption or for further processing
  • Products of aquaculture finfish, molluscs and crustaceans that are *EU listed species and certified for further processing

* EU listed and vector species are any that are listed in column 3 of Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/216

For products that require both public health and animal health attestations, applicants must complete Part A and Part B of the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT– Fish and Seafood form.

  • Request form Part A: tick the applicable checkbox to identify which product in your shipment requires the animal health attestations, and provide information on where the aquaculture animals are sourced from
  • Request form Part B: fully complete Part B, which are exporter declarations relating to the animal health requirements identified on Part II.2 of the EU certificate

When animal health requirements apply, there are restrictions on combining more than one species in a single package or product types in one shipment to be exported to the EU at the same time. As a result, not all aquatic animals or products can be certified under the same certificate:

  • If the aquatic animals to be certified only require public health attestations and if they are all being certified for the same purpose (further processing or human consumption), all the aquatic animals can be certified on the same certificate, as long as they are all in the same grouping (one certificate is for fish, crustaceans and their products, the other certificate is for bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods and their products)
  • If the aquatic animals to be certified require both public health and animal health attestations, then each aquatic animal or product to be certified requires one certificate for each purpose (further processing or human consumption)
  • Shipments containing both wild and aquaculture animals cannot be certified on the same certificate. One certificate will be required for the wild products, and another certificate for the aquaculture products

Declarations on Part B of the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT– Fish and Seafood form

Declarations relating to attestations II.2.2.1. and II.2.2.2. on the EU certificate

These declarations only apply to consignments containing aquaculture animals (finfish, molluscs and crustaceans).

An aquaculture animal is any finfish, crustacean, or mollusc which is obtained from a farm or aquaculture licence/landfile/lease/tenure.

From Part B – declaration form:

II.2.2.1.

If exporting aquaculture animals which are EU listed and if live, vector species, I have confirmed that the *aquaculture establishment from which I obtained the animals to be exported has a valid aquaculture licence issued by the province or territory or Fisheries and Oceans Canada and has records of the following:

  • (i) the species, categories and number of aquaculture animals on the aquaculture establishment
  • (ii) movements of aquatic animals into, and aquaculture animals out of, the establishment
  • (iii) mortality in the establishment

II.2.2.2.

If exporting aquaculture animals which are EU listed species or if the animals are live, an EU vector species, I confirm that I have records which verify that the animals have been grown on landfile(s) and/or lease(s) and/or aquaculture tenure(s) that has received an annual veterinary visit for the purpose of detecting any occurrence of disease(s) and that no diseases have been identified.

Tick the checkbox if you are exporting aquatic animals from an aquaculture license/lease/landfile/tenure.

Otherwise, these 2 declarations are not applicable.

Fish and seafood establishments involved in the export of aquaculture aquatic animals or their products (for further processing only) to the EU must have records to demonstrate that all aquaculture products received at their establishment originate from licensed aquaculture establishments that meet the requirements mentioned below.

Requirements for licensed aquaculture establishments

The aquaculture establishment is required to have the following controls/requirements in place before their aquatic animals or products are eligible for export to the EU:

  1. The aquaculture establishment from which the consignment originates must be registered or licensed. This means the aquaculture establishment must have a valid aquaculture licence issued by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) or the province or territory in which the establishment is located
  2. The aquaculture establishment from which the aquatic animals originate must be one where the license holder has the following up to date records for at least 3 years:
    1. the species, category (finfish, crustaceans, molluscs) and number of animals at the establishment
    2. movements of aquatic animals into and out of the establishment
    3. mortality in the establishment
  3. The aquaculture establishment must have a veterinary visit at a minimum frequency of once per year and for the express purpose of detecting signs of EU regulated diseases and other diseases.

A copy of the annual veterinary report should be maintained by the exporter and must be submitted to the CFIA along with the Request for Export Certification to the EU – TRACES NT – Fish and Seafood form when requesting for a certificate.

The CFIA has developed a template for the annual veterinary report that exporters can provide to the private veterinarian to advise him/her on the details of the activities need to be completed for export to the EU. The template references cultured molluscs as an example, and can be accessed at Annual Veterinary Visit Report Template for the Export of Molluscs to the European Union (EU).

Requirements for annual veterinary visit

Each establishment exporting to the EU will require, from each aquaculture farm/premises, a signed report from the attending veterinarian documenting that during the annual visit, the following records were examined and determined to be satisfactory:

  • The farm has written records of all the species contained on the premise, categories (fish/mollusc or crustacean/life-stage which could include spat/ juvenile/adults etc. on the farm
  • The farm keeps records of the number of animals that are present on site, and numbers of animals harvested (number of stocked to numbers harvested);
  • The farm has records documenting the introductions of all aquatic animals into, and all animals removed from the farm
  • The farm has records of any losses or mortality that were documented during the production cycle.
  • The farm has records of any vaccinations for EU listed diseases
  • Clinical examination for signs of molluscan infectious diseases was completed by the veterinarian
Declaration relating to attestation II.2.3.3. on the EU certificate

The live wild molluscs or aquaculture aquatic animals (finfish, molluscs or crustaceans) or their products are to be shipped directly from the establishment of export to the European Union.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.3.4. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm that the live wild molluscs or aquaculture aquatic animals (finfish, molluscs or crustaceans) or their products have not comingled with other EU listed or vector species. Also, provide the province of origin or surrounding harvest waters of the aquatic animals so that CFIA can determine if the animals have been in contact with animals of a different health status.

The aquaculture establishment from which the animals to be exported to the EU are derived or purchased must have a list of the countries from which the aquatic animals were imported.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.5. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm that at the time of export, the live wild molluscs or aquaculture aquatic animals (finfish, molluscs or crustaceans) or the population from which the products were derived:

  • (i) had no abnormal mortalities with an undetermined cause
  • (ii) were not subject to national restriction measures for animal health reasons or due to abnormal mortalities of undetermined cause
  • (iii) were not intended to be killed under a national program for the eradication of diseases
Declaration relating to attestation II.2.6.1. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm, if exporting live aquatic animals in water, that arrangements have been made that the water in which they are transported in is not changed in a third country or territory, zone or compartment which is not approved for entry of the particular species and category of aquatic animals into the European Union

If exporting live aquatic animals that are not transported in water, tick the checkbox indicating "not applicable" on the declaration form.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.6.2. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm that for live aquatic animals exports, arrangements have been made prior to loading for dispatch to the European Union, that the aquatic animals are not transported under conditions that jeopardize their health status, in particular:

  • (i) if the animals are transported in water, it is done in a way that does not alter their health status
  • (ii) the means of transport and the containers are constructed in such a way that the health status of the aquatic animals is not jeopardized during transportation
  • (iii) that the container or well boat is either previously unused or cleaned and disinfected

If not exporting live aquatic animals, then tick off the checkbox indicating "not applicable" on the declaration form.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.6.3. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm that for live aquatic animals, arrangements have been made from the time of loading at the establishment of origin until the time of arrival in the Union, that the animals in the consignment are not transported in the same water or for container or well-boat together with aquatic animals which are of a lower health status or which are not intended for entry into the European Union

If not exporting live aquatic animals, then tick off the checkbox indicating "not applicable" on the declaration form.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.6.4. on the EU certificate

The exporter must confirm that for live aquatic animals, arrangements have been made, where a water exchange is necessary in a country, territory, zone, or compartment which is listed for entry of the particular species and category of aquatic animals into the European Union, that:

  • it only occurs in the case of transport on land, at water exchange points approved by the competent authority of the third country or territory where the water exchange takes place; or
  • in the case of transport by well-boat, at a distance which is at least 10 km from any aquaculture establishments which are located en-route from the place of origin to the place of destination in the European Union

If not exporting live aquatic animals or not exporting live aquatic animals in water, then tick off the checkbox indicating "not applicable" on the declaration form.

Additional transportation requirements relating to attestations II.2.6.1. - II.2.6.4.

When aquatic animals are transported to the EU in water:

  • contact CFIA for further details regarding the additional requirements

General transport requirements:

  • the means of transport and the containers are constructed in such a way that the health status of the aquatic animals is not jeopardized during transportation
  • the container or well-boat is either previously unused or, if previously used, must be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with requirements of the exporting country
  • from the time of loading at the establishment of origin until the time of arrival in the Union, the animals in the consignment are not transported in the same water or container or well-boat together with aquatic animals which are of a lower health status or which are not intended for entry into the Union
Declaration relating to attestations II.2.7. and II.2.7.1. on the EU certificate

The exporter confirms that arrangements have been made to identify and label the means of transport or containers with a legible and visible label on the exterior of the container or an entry in the ships manifest when transported by well boat, which clearly links the consignment to the animal health certificate.

Declaration relating to attestation II.2.7.2. on the EU certificate

The exporter confirms that for live aquatic animals, arrangements have been made that the legible and visible label on the master carton will contain at least the following information:

  • (a) the number of containers in the consignment
  • (b) the name of the species present in each container
  • (c) the number of animals in each container for each of the species present
  • (d) one of the following statements:
    • 'live fish intended for human consumption in the European Union'
    • 'live crustaceans intended for human consumption in the European Union'
    • 'live molluscs intended for human consumption in the European Union'
Declaration relating to attestation II.2.7.3. on the EU certificate

For non-live products, arrangements have been made that the legible and visible label on the master carton will contain at least one of the following statements:

  • "products of animal origin from fish, other than live fish, intended for further processing in the European Union'
  • "products of animal origin from molluscs, other than live molluscs, intended for further processing in the European Union"
  • "products of animal origin from crustaceans, other than live crustaceans, intended for further processing in the European Union"

Additional requirements for all wild live molluscs and live aquaculture animals (finfish, molluscs, crustaceans)

Exporters of live wild molluscs or live aquaculture animals (finfish, molluscs, crustaceans) of EU listed or vector species that are being exported for further processing in the EU must have an Inspection by a CFIA Veterinary inspector within 72 hours prior to export.

The above animal health declarations must be part of the applicant/exporter's preventive control plan or export control plan. The declarations must be identified in the plan indicating who will be in charge, how the requirement will be implemented and documented in the plan. The exporter must indicate when the lot will be available for inspection and where it will be available for inspection.

Information on TRACES Certificates

To complete part I of the certificate, it is strongly recommended to work closely with your importer in the EU to ensure the information declared on the certificate matches that of the common health entry document (CHED) generated by the importer. Refer to Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 for more information.

Additional information on how to complete Part I

Box I.1. Consignor

  • Mandatory field in TRACES NT

Box I.2. Certificate reference number

  • Industry must leave this field blank when completing Part I
  • This reference number is assigned by the CFIA in accordance with its own classification

Box I.2.a. IMSOC reference

  • Auto-generated by TRACES NT once Part I is completed by Industry

Box I.3. Central Competent Authority

  • Auto-generated by TRACES NT once certain fields are completed in Part I

Box I.4. Local Competent Authority

  • Auto-generated by TRACES NT once certain fields are completed in Part I

Box I.5. Consignee

  • Mandatory field in TRACES NT

Box I.6. Operator responsible for the consignment

Box I.7. Country of origin

  • For products: indicate the name and ISO country code of the country where the goods were produced, manufactured or packaged (labelled with the identification mark)

Box I.8. Region of origin

  • Applicable to live molluscan shellfish only. The field is auto-populated with information entered into the "Sanitary Region of Origin" field. Click on "Show Additional Columns" under Box I.27 to activate the "Sanitary Region of Origin" field

Box I.9. Country of destination (mandatory field)

Box I.10. Region of destination

Box I.11. Place of dispatch (mandatory field)

  • Last establishment in the transport chain prior to export to the EU-establishment or cold storage

Box I.12. Place of destination

Box I.13 Place of loading

  • Indicate the Canadian port of dispatch or the airport from which the products are shipped to the EU
  • If the shipment is transiting through the United States prior to being shipped to the EU, indicate the last Canadian establishment in the transport chain prior to the shipment's departure from Canada

Box I.14. Date and time of departure (mandatory field)

  • Reminder that the shipment to be certified must be in Canada when the certificate is signed by the inspector. The departure date in this field must not before the date when the certificate will be signed

Box I.15. Means of transport (mandatory)

Box I.16. Entry BCP (mandatory)

Box I.17 Accompanying documents

  • The type and reference number of document must be stated when a consignment is accompanied by the other documents such as CITES permit, permit for invasive alien species (IAS) or a commercial document (for example, the airway bill number, the bill of lading number or the commercial number of the train or road vehicle)

Note: approval numbers of establishments (cold storage warehouse, manufacturing plant, etc.) must be indicated as they appear on the applicable Third Country Establishments List per Country.

Box I.18. Transport conditions (mandatory)

  • Only 1 of the options may be selected

Box I.19. Container No. / Seal No.

  • Although it is not identified as a mandatory field in TRACES NT, the container and seal number must be entered if the goods are transported in closed containers unless instructed otherwise by the BCP of the importing country

Box I.20. Certified as

  • There are 3 options that can be used for exports of aquatic animals to the EU as food. You can only choose 1 option per certificate issued:
    • if the consignment is destined to the EU for further processing (definition: Further processing means any type of measures and techniques, carried out before the placing on the market for human consumption, affecting anatomical wholeness, such as bleeding, evisceration, heading, slicing and filleting which produce waste or by-products which could cause a risk of disease spread) before available for human consumption, then "further processing" must be checked off
    • if the consignment is not live and not destined for further processing in the EU, then check off "products for human consumption"
    • if the consignment is not destined for further processing in the EU and contains live aquatic animals (example: live lobsters for human consumption), then check off "Live aquatic animals for human consumption"

Box I.21., I.22., I.23. Purpose (mandatory)

Only 1 field can be checked off:

I.21. for transit

I.22. for internal market

I.23. for re-entry

Box I.24. Total number of packages

Box I.25. Total quantity

Box I.26: Total gross weight (mandatory) / Total net weight

For Total gross weight, ensure the proper unit of measure is identified

Box I.27 Description of consignment

The following fields are all mandatory fields and must all be completed:

  • commodity: this field is pre-filled
  • species: enter correct scientific name (Latin name); the choices will be restricted to the HS code which was chosen when identifying the product to be exported in the "EU Import: Select commodities" page (if multiple species in one product or if the species name is not available from the dropdown list, choose 'pesca' or 'otra pesca' instead of a single scientific name)
  • cold store: this is the cold storage facility and it must be licensed under SFCR and be on the EU's approved list of establishments from Canada
  • identification mark: enter the approval number (establishment ID number) of the manufacturing plant and Canada's ISO code (CA). Example: ####CA
  • package count: ensure appropriate "unit" of measure is chosen
  • net weight: ensure appropriate "unit" of measure is chosen
  • treatment type
  • nature of commodity: the only options for exports to the EU for fish as food are: "farmed stock" or "wild stock"
  • batch number
  • final consumer
  • date of collection/production: input the harvest date or production date. When there are multiple collection/production dates, the OLDEST date of production or harvest as it applies to the entire consignment should be indicated (applies to both live/non-live fish)
  • manufacturing plant: this is the processing establishment and it must be licensed under SFCR and be on the EU's approved list of establishments from Canada
  • quantity

Part II

Part II must be completed by CFIA.

Note: certificates for live aquatic animals are only valid for 10 days once endorsed by CFIA.

For more information about TRACES NT, refer to Exporting food and animal products to the European Union.

Other information

European Union (EU) legislation

Ensure that you are using the most up-to-date/consolidated version. See EUR-Lex, the official and most comprehensive online access point to the EU legal documents.

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