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REMINDER ON FEES FOR IRISH FOOD OPERATORS
Reminder on fees for Irish food operators. Ireland’s Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) recently issued its quarterly reminder to Food Business Operators on their obligations to pay mandatory fees for Sea-Food Safety Official Controls performed by the SFPA. The SFPA issues self-declaration forms for fees each quarter. Self-declaration figures for Quarter 2 2023 are due for submission before close of business on 14th April 2023. These reminders to Food Business Operators, also note, where applicable, self-declaration figures which have not yet been received for one or more previous quarters.
Each approved Food Business Operator is obliged to complete a Self Declaration form and submit it to the SFPA quarterly by the following dates in 2023:
- Friday 13th January 2023 for Q4 2022
- Friday 14th April 2023 for Q1 2023
- Friday 14th July 2023 for Q2 2023
- Friday 13th October 2023 for Q3 2023
Under EU Official Controls Regulation, the SFPA is obliged to charge fees for official controls and activities, including routine seafood inspections that it carries out for Food Business Operators at approved establishments and approved vessels to verify compliance with EU food regulations. These fees were applied from 1st October 2021. The application of the charges brings the sea-fisheries and seafood industry in line with other sectors under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, where businesses are already charged for regulatory controls for live animals and products of animal origin. For more information regarding Sea-Food Safety Official Control fees, click here on their website.
The fees collected by the SFPA are calculated based on the volumes of fish first placed on the market by an operator, that is, when the oval identification mark has been placed on the product for the first time. There will be a flat rate of €1 per tonne for the first 50 tonnes in a month and 50 cent per tonne thereafter. Fees are also charged for unplanned official controls arising from follow-up of non-compliances based on an hourly rate.
Fees relating to imports of fish and fishery products from Third Countries to Ireland at Border Control Posts will continue to be collected by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine National Disease Control Centre (NDCC).
