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

On this page

• Eligible/ineligible product
• Pre-export approvals by competent authority of importing country
• Product specifications
• Production controls and inspection requirements
  • Personal consignments of products of animal origin
• Labelling, packaging and marking requirements
• Documentation requirements
• Other information
• Certification of fish landed by EU vessels, stored in Canada and exported to the EU for human consumption

Eligible/Ineligible product

Eligible

• All fish and seafood products

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 Third Country Establishments List per Country. Please click on "Canada" to see the following associated documents:

  • Section VII: Live bivalve molluscs – PDF (173 kb)
    For exporting live, frozen or processed 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.

  • Section VIII: Fishery products – PDF (168 kb) For exporting all other fish and seafood products not included in the other three EU fish lists, 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.

Note: DG-SANTE has added the letter "F" as a suffix to the registration number 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 registration number 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 wishing to be added to any of the EU approval lists must be in compliance with Canadian regulations.
• Cold storage warehouses are subject to Preventive control plan (PCP) requirements.
• To request inclusion on any of the EU approval lists, please submit the following information to your local CFIA office:
  • unique establishment identifier
  • Safe Food for Canadians licence number
  • full legal name as it appears on the Safe Food for Canadians licence
  • physical site address associated with the unique establishment identifier as it appears on the Safe Food for Canadians licence
  • applicable establishment type(s):
    • PP – Processing Plant (Live Bivalve Molluscs, Fishery Products)
    • FV – Factory Vessel (Live Bivalve Molluscs, Fishery Products)
    • CS – Cold Storage (Fishery Products)
    • IP – Dispatch Centre (Live Bivalve Molluscs)
    • Z – Production Areas (Live Bivalve Molluscs)
  • if the products to be exported include any aquacultured material, a remark of "Aq" must be indicated
  • name of the EU approval list(s) you are requesting inclusion on

Note: All additions, amendments and deletions will be forwarded to the EU for approval. The approval process takes approximately 3 months, but time frames may vary depending upon circumstances beyond the control of the CFIA. If an establishment currently included on any EU approval list undergoes a name change and/or a registration number change, the documentation and labelling must identify the old registration or export licence number and legal name, as recorded on the EU approval list, until such time as the list is officially amended.

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. These submissions are sent on a monthly basis and 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 validity date of the submission on the relevant approval list. The validity date is the date on which a new or updated list enters into force, and appears on the top right corner of approval lists. This date is typically about two (2) months after the submission to DG-SANTE has been sent, but time frames may vary depending upon circumstances beyond the control of the CFIA.

Modifications

• Where a request is made to modify either the approval number or establishment name on any EU approval list, the establishment must ensure that all documentation and labelling identifies the old registration number and legal name recorded on the relevant EU approval list until such time as the list is officially amended and the validity date has been reached.

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.

Product specifications

Microbiological requirements

• As found in the annexes of Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs.

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; and,
  • 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

    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; and,
  • fish must have been marinated for at least 35 days prior to further processing
• The manufacturer may have to supply documentation indicating the type of process that the above fishery products have undergone.

Maximum levels for chemical contaminants

• For permitted additives, information is as found in the Annexes of Regulation (EC) N^o 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives.
  • For more information on permitted additives please consult the DG-SANTE database on Food Additives.
• For other contaminants, information is as found in the Annex of Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.

• Companies who wish to export fish products to the EU are responsible for conducting monitoring for PAHs in these products to demonstrate that they meet the EU standard.
• See industry notice [2012-04-13] – Monitoring for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Smoked Fish Products Destined for Export to the European Union.

Maximum levels for therapeutants and antibiotics

• As found in the Annex of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 37/2010 of 22 December 2009 on pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding maximum residue limits in foodstuffs of animal origin.

Production controls and inspection requirements

• Each shipment must be accompanied by a single, original, fully completed EU health certificate.
• Canadian exporters should ensure that their products are accompanied by the proper EU documentation prior to being exported from Canada if transhipped via another country.
• The certificate must provide an accurate description of the identity of the approved processor of the goods, the type of fish being shipped, the quantity of product being shipped, and the final destination of the goods.
• The details of the product description must indicate whether the product originated from an aquaculture operation or is classified as a fishery product.
• The EU requires certification of any samples of fish and fish products destined for human consumption.

• Canadian establishments importing raw materials for further processing and eventual export to the EU must ensure that the imported products come from EU approved establishments as applicable. Imported product must also be eligible for entry into the EU.

  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 cannot enter the EU.

EU traceability requirements

• 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) N^o 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) N^o 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) N^o 1005/2008) via the Fisheries Certification System (FCS). For more information on the process and to register in the Fisheries Certificate System, please visit the DFO website.
• 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.
• Applications for Catch Certificates will not be accepted from a company that has not previously registered in the system.
• We also encourage you to visit the DFO Exporting and importing fish web page, for the most up-to-date information on EU fishing regulations and the Catch Certification Program.

Fish processed from imported raw materials for export to the EU

• Within the DFO's Fisheries Certificate System (FCS), the Foreign Catch Export Certificate is used to meet the Annex IV requirements of Council Regulation (EC) N^o 1005/2008.
• 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.
• Canadian exporters must be registered in the FCS, and obtain an EU health certificate number prior to submitting their request.

Exports to third countries which will subsequently be exported to the EU

• If a Canadian company is exporting their products to a third country, which in turn will export them to the EU (indirect export to the EU), the Canadian company needs only to provide a Canadian Catch Certificate to the third country exporter.
• It is the responsibility of the final exporter to obtain the Annex IV documentation from their competent authority prior to sending any consignments to the EU.

Personal consignments of products of animal origin

• As per Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 206/2009, 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, dead mussels and dead oysters) provided that:
  • fresh fish are eviscerated; and,
  • fishery products do not exceed twenty (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 two (2) kilograms per person.
• Fishery products that meet these requirements for personal consignments are exempt from certification requirements.

Sport-caught fish from recognized British Columbia sport fish lodges in excess of twenty (20) kilograms

• 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 twenty (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; and,
  • the fish is not intended to be marketed.
• The traveler 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 Guide – British Columbia websites.

Processed sport-caught fish (canned, smoked or other preparations)

• A person who wishes to receive a certificate for sport fish weighing more than twenty (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 registered establishment.
• As an option, the operator of the fishing lodge may partner with a CFIA registered 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 registered 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.
• Please note that a person requesting a fish export certificate from the CFIA is required to pay the appropriate inspection service fee for that certificate.

Labelling, packaging and marking requirements

• Inner packages and containers for all fishery products exported to the EU must be labelled to indicate the approved Canadian establishment number, and the word "Canada".
• This information 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.
• The approved Canadian establishment number and the word "Canada" must be printed on all packaging materials for all products exported to the EU, including wrappers, liners, or any other material used to contain and protect products.

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 registration number; and,
  • date of wrapping, comprising at least the day and the month.
• Labels should include other applicable information required for all fish products.
• The date of durability may be replaced by the entry these animals must be alive when sold.
• 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; and,
  • 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.

Note: Different EU member states may have additional requirements. Exporters should contact their buyers to determine if there are any additional country-specific requirements applied to live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates or marine gastropods exported from Canada.

Documentation requirements

Certificate

Note: Certificates must be in the language acceptable to the border entry point. Different versions of the following certificates are available depending on the final destination member state of the EU.

1. For fishery products intended for human consumption:

   Official certificates for the entry into the Union for placing on the market of fishery products.

   Form (CFIA/ACIA (5019)

2. For live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods intended for human consumption:

   Official certificates for the entry into the Union for placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods.

   Form (CFIA/ACIA 5017)

Information required to complete EU health certificates

Note: Please complete the certificate in capitals.

To complete part I of the certificate, it is strongly recommended to work closely with your importer. Please refer also to annex II in the link below.

Part II must be completed by CFIA.

Each page of the certificate should be signed and stamped.

Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2019/628 of 8 April 2019 concerning model official certificates for certain animals and goods and amending Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/759 as regards these model certificates

To positively select any option, please tick or mark the relevant box with a cross (X).

Whenever mentioned, 'ISO' means the international standard two-letter code for a country, in accordance with the international standard ISO 3166 alpha-2 (1).

Only one of the options may be selected in boxes I.15, I.18, I.20 and I.22.

If the consignee, the entry border control post (BCP) or the transport details (that is to say, the means and date) change after the certificate has been issued, the operator responsible for the consignment must advise the competent authority of the Member State of entry. Such a change shall not result in a request for a replacement certificate.

Part I – Information on the consignment shipped

Box I.1. Consignor/Exporter

• Please give the name and address (street, town and region/province/state, as applicable) of the physical or legal person who sends the consignment.
• The consignor must be located outside of the European Community.
• It is recommended that telephone and fax numbers or the email address be given.

Box I.2. Certificate reference number

• This reference number is assigned by the CFIA in accordance with its own classification.

Box I.2a. IMSOC reference No

• Reserved to the EU. Do not complete.

Box I.3. Competent Central Authority

• The name of the central authority of the country of dispatch which is responsible for certification (example: CFIA).

Box I.4. Local competent authority

• If applicable, the name of the local authority in the third country issuing the certificate.

Box I.5. Consignee/Importer

• Name and address of the natural or legal person to whom the consignment is intended in the Member State or third country of destination in the case of transit. However, this information is not compulsory for consignments in transit through the European Union.

Box I.6 Operator responsible for the consignment

• The name and address of the person in the European Union in charge of the consignment when presented to the BCP and who makes the necessary declarations to the competent authorities either as the importer or on behalf of the importer.
• For products in transit through the European Union: the name and address are compulsory.
• For certain animals: the name and address are compulsory if required by the relevant European Union legislation.
• For animals and products for the placing on the market: the name and address are optional.

Box I.7. Country of origin

• Give the name and ISO code of the third country in which the finished products were produced, manufactured or packaged (example: Canada – CA).

Box I.8. Region of origin

• Only applicable for live, frozen or processed bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods, excluding the adductor muscle of Pectinidae.
• Indicate the production area exactly as it appears on Section VII: Live bivalve molluscs - PDF (171 kb).
• Please note that products that originate outside of Canada (example: imports for processing with eventual re-export to the EU) must be acceptable for entry into the EU from the region of origin.

Box I.9. Country of destination

• The name and ISO code of the European Union country of destination of the animals or products.
• If the products are in transit, the name and ISO code of the third country of destination is required.

Box I.10. Region of destination

• See box I.8

Box I.11. Place of origin

• The name, address and approval number, if required by the European Union legislation, of the holdings or establishments from which the animals or the products come from.
• For animals: a holding or any other officially monitored agricultural, industrial or commercial establishment, including zoos, amusement parks, wildlife and hunting reserves, where animals are regularly kept or bred.
• For other products: any unit of a company in the food or animal by-product sector. Only the establishment shipping the products is to be named. In the case of trade involving more than one third country (triangular trade), the place of dispatch is the last third-country establishment of the export chain from which the final consignment is transported to the European Union.

Box I.12. Place of destination

• Except in the case of storage of products in transit, this information is optional.
• For the placing on the market: the place where the animals or products are sent for final unloading. Give the name, address and approval number of the holdings or establishments of the place of destination, if applicable.
• For storage of products in transit: the name, address and approval number of the warehouse in a free zone, the customs warehouse or the ship supplier.

Box I.13. Place of loading

• For products: the name of the city and category (for example, establishment, holding, port or airport) of the final place where the products are to be loaded in the means of transport for the journey to the European Union. In the case of a container, state where it is to be placed aboard the final means of transport to the European Union. In the case of a ferry, indicate the place where the truck embarked.

Box I.14. Date and time of departure

• For animals: the date and time at which the animals are scheduled to leave in their means of transport (aeroplane, vessel, railway or road vehicle).
• For products: the date when the means of transport departs (aeroplane, vessel, railway or road vehicle).

Box I.15. Means of transport

• Means of transport leaving the country of dispatch.
• Mode of transport: aeroplane, vessel, railway, road vehicle or other.
• Identification of the means of transport: for aeroplanes the flight number, for vessels the ship name(s), for railways the train identity and wagon number, for road transports the registration number plate with trailer number plate if applicable.
• In the case of a ferry, state the identification of the road vehicle, the registration number plate with trailer number plate if applicable, and the name of the scheduled ferry.

Box I.16. Entry BCP

• State the name of the Border Control Post (BCP) and its identification code assigned by IMSOC.
• Please enter the name (column 1) and the number (column 3) of the border inspection post (BIP).
  • Note: EU has recently changed the format of the contact details for BCPs tables. Now “column 1” has the name of the BIP, column 2 has the contact details for the BIP, and column 3 has the BIP number.
• Information on EU approved BIPs can be found on the European Commission webpage for Veterinary Border Control.
• The exporter should contact their importer in the EU for any information on updates to EU approved BIPs

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)

Box I.18. Transport conditions

• Category of required temperature during the transport of products (ambient, chilled, frozen). Only one category may be selected.

Box I.19. Container No/Seal No

• If applicable, the corresponding numbers.
• The container number must be provided if the goods are transported in closed containers.
• Only the official seal number must be stated. An official seal applies if a seal is affixed to the container, truck or rail wagon under the supervision of the competent authority issuing the certificate.

Box I.20. Good certified as

• State the purpose for the placing on the market of the animals or intended use for products as specified in the relevant European Union health certificate.
• Canning industry: concerns, for example, tuna intended for the canning industry.
• Human consumption: concerns only products intended for human consumption for which a health or veterinary certificate is required by European Union legislation.

Box I.21.

• For transit: only for the transit of animals or products through the European Union from one third country to another third country or from one part of a third country to another part of the same third country. State the name and ISO code of the third country of destination.

Box I.22.

• N/A

Box I.23. Total number of packages

• The number of boxes, cages or stalls, in which the animals are being transported, the number of cryogenic containers for germinal products or the number of packages for products. In the case of bulk consignments, this box is optional.

Box I.24. Quantity/Total number/Total net weight/Total gross weight

• For products and aquatic animals, except ornamental fish: the total gross and net weight in kilograms
• Total net weight: this is defined as the mass of the goods themselves without immediate containers or any packaging.
• Total gross weight: overall weight in kilograms. This is defined as the aggregate mass of the products and of the immediate containers and all their packaging, but excluding transport containers and other transport equipment.

Box I.25. Description of goods

• State the relevant Harmonised System code (HS code) and the title defined by the World Customs Organisation as referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 (9). This customs description shall be supplemented, if necessary, by additional information required to classify the animals or the products in veterinary terms. In addition, state any specific requirements relating to the animals or to the nature/processing of the products as defined in the relevant European Union model health or veterinary certificate.
• Zone: for animals or products affected by the setting up of approved zones or compartments in accordance with European Union legislation. The zones or production areas (for example, in the case of bivalve molluscs) must be indicated as published in the European Union lists of approved establishments.
• For products: the species, types of products, type of treatment, approval number of establishments together with ISO country code (slaughter house, processing plant, cold store), number of packages, type of packaging, batch number, net weight, and final consumer (i.e. products are packed for final consumer).
• Species: the scientific name or as defined in accordance with European Union legislation.
• Type of packaging: identify the type of packaging according to the definition given in Recommendation No 21 of UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business).

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.

Part II – Certification

Note: Each deletion instructed below must be signed and stamped by the official inspector, in addition to the stamp at the bottom of the page.

Box II.a. Certificate reference number

• Same reference code as in box I.2.

Box II.b. IMSOC reference No

• Same reference code as in box I.2.a.

Part II.2 – Animal health attestations

• The EU has set certification requirements affecting the marketing of live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, marine gastropods, and fishery products to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases within its territories.
• For more information on EU animal health requirements as they relate to aquacultured aquatic animals, please visit Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals.
  • A list of susceptible species has been constructed from Annex IV of Council Directive 2006/88/EC.
• Aquaculture as defined by Council Directive 2006/88/EC, means the rearing or cultivation of aquatic organisms using techniques designed to increase the production of those organisms beyond the natural capacity of the environment and where the organisms remain the property of one or more natural or legal persons throughout the rearing or culture stages, up to and including harvesting.

Live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods of aquaculture origin

• These sections in the EU health certificate are not applicable to products that are packaged and labelled for direct distribution to consumers or the restaurant trade, and must be struck out.
• These sections in the EU health certificate must be completed for any other shipments of market size live bivalve molluscan shellfish, echinoderms, and marine gastropods. Please note that these products must not be wet stored or relayed in the European Community.
• If the species is listed as a known susceptible species then the animals may not be eligible for export.
  • If products are not included in the list of species known to be susceptible to stated diseases, strike out all applicable statements except for the general health attestation regarding transport and labelling.
• Please contact the CFIA before shipping live bivalve molluscan shellfish, echinoderms and marine gastropods that are not packaged and labelled for direct consumption in the European Community.

Fishery products of aquaculture origin

• Animal health attestation requirements apply only if the fishery products are:
  • of aquaculture origin;
  • not packaged for retail; and,
  • are live or whole, uneviscerated finfish, or
  • are live crustaceans intended for further processing in the EU.
• Delete all attestations under Part II.2 if:
  • certificate pertains to wild-caught fish; or,
  • products are either slaughtered and eviscerated finfish or crustaceans packaged for direct human consumption, provided they comply with the rules applying to packaging and labelling laid down in Regulation (EC) N^o 853/2004.
• Delete appropriate conditions from Part II.2 to indicate that the fish have been slaughtered and eviscerated.
• If the species is listed as a known susceptible species then the animals may not be eligible for export.
  • If products are not included in the list of species known to be susceptible to stated diseases, strike out all applicable statements except for the general health attestation regarding transport and labelling.
• Please contact the CFIA before shipping fishery products of aquaculture origin that are live or whole, uneviscerated finfish or crustaceans that are not packaged and labelled for direct consumption in the European Community or intended for further processing in the European Community.

Live aquatic animals and their products not intended for human consumption

• Live aquaculture and wild crustaceans, finfish and molluscs (and their products) not intended for human consumption will require an aquatic animal health certificate.
• Requirements for these certificates are not included in this document.
• More information can be found on the Aquatic Animal Export webpage.
• Please contact your local CFIA area or regional office before shipping any live aquaculture or wild aquatic animals (or their products) that are not intended for human consumption.

Other information

Member countries of the European Union (EU)

European Union (EU) Legislation

• Regulation (EC) N^o 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety
• Regulation (EC) N^o 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
• Regulation (EC) N^o 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin
• Regulation (EC) N^o 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption
• Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
• Council Directive 2006/88/EC of 24 October 2006 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals
• Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 1664/2006 of 6 November 2006 amending Regulation (EC) N^o 2074/2005 as regards implementing measures for certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption and repealing certain implementing measures
• Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs
• Regulation (EC) N^o 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives.
• Council Regulation (EC) N^o 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, amending Regulations (EEC) N^o 2847/93, (EC) N^o 1936/2001 and (EC) N^o 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) N^o 1093/94 and (EC) N^o 1447/1999
• Commission Regulation (EC) N^o 206/2009 of 5 March 2009 on the introduction into the Community of personal consignments of products of animal origin and amending Regulation (EC) N^o 136/2004
• Commission Regulation (EU) N^o 37/2010 of 22 December 2009 on pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding maximum residue limits in foodstuffs of animal origin
• Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2019/628 of 8 April 2019 concerning model official certificates for certain animals and goods and amending Regulation (EC) N^o 2074/2005 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/759 as regards these model certificates