FDA to Refer EU Export Certificate Requests to NOAA SIP for Fish/Fishery Products on June 17, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration has revised its recently issued guidance for industry on the "Referral Program from the FDA to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seafood Inspection Program (NOAA SIP) for the Certification of Fish and Fishery Products for Export to the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)."
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According to FDA, the revised guidance only changes the date on which FDA intends to stop issuing export certificates for fish or fishery products that are to be shipped to the EU and EFTA and refer such export certificate requests to NOAA SIP.
The date FDA now intends to stop issuing the EU Export Certificates is June 17, 2009, instead of February 17, 2009.
NOAA SIP to Proceed, FDA to Stop Issuing Export Certificates, Etc.
In the previous and now revised version of the guidance, FDA announces that it intends to:
proceed with a NOAA SIP program to include all fish and fishery products for export to EU or EFTA member countries;
discontinue its issuance of EU Export Certificates and refer to NOAA SIP any such requests;
continue producing its EU Export Certificate List, which identifies all fish and fishery product establishments in the U.S. that are in regulatory good standing with FDA and that seek to export such products to the EU/EFTA that NOAA SIP could consult when issuing EU Export Certificates.
Approach needed to free up FDA resources. FDA states that implementing the policies in this guidance should free up resources that FDA could allocate for higher priority public health activities intended to protect the U.S. consuming public, while still providing a mechanism for the industry to continue obtaining EU certification.
(According to the FDA, the EU has required that "Health Certificates" (EU Export Certificates) accompany all shipments of fish and fishery products that are shipped to the EU or EFTA since 1993. When FDA agreed to begin issuing EU Export Certificates, it anticipated that this would be an interim program and issued approximately 3,000 certificates annually. Now FDA issues over 30,000 certificates each year. At the same time, FDA states it has experienced significant increases in food safety responsibilities and a decline in resources available for food safety.)
FDA contact - William Jones (301) 436-2300
FDA notice (D/N FDA-2004-D-0043 (formerly 2004D-0510), FR Pub 02/11/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-2802.pdf
FDA guidance, including NOAA SIP contacts for EU Export Certificates (dated February 2009) available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/eucergu2.html