SFPA ISSUES INFORMATION NOTE TO INDUSTRY ON ORIGIN GUIDELINES FOR EXPORT HEALTH CERTIFICATION

SFPA issues Information Note to Industry on Origin Guidelines for Export Health Certification. The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) recently issued an information notice to industry titled ‘Origin Guidelines for Export Health Certification.’ This information notice was issued in relation to technical requirements for Irish companies trading with Third Countries in an evolving third country regulatory environment.

For consignments of fish, fishery products and molluscan shellfish to be exported to third countries outside the EU they need to be accompanied by an export health certificate and certificate of origin. Fishery Products caught by Irish flagged vessels can be certified for export using the relevant Export Health Certificate and Certificate of Origin template by the SFPA as long as the application comes from an SFPA approved establishment. In order for the SFPA to be able to issue these certificates the products within the consignment must be of Irish origin.

Customs legislation allows for product to be deemed Irish if: the goods were wholly obtained in Ireland (caught by Irish flagged vessels) or if Ireland is the territory in which they underwent their last substantial processing or working.

With regards to goods that were wholly obtained in Ireland (caught by Irish flagged vessels) fishery products caught by Irish flagged vessels can be certified for export using the relevant Export Health Certificate and Certificate of Origin template provided by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers of the SFPA as long as the application comes from an SFPA approved establishment.

 With regards to if Ireland is the territory in which they underwent their last substantial processing or working, processing includes products that have undergone an operation affecting their anatomical wholeness for example, gutting, heading, slicing, filleting or chopping. This means that any products that are derived from fish caught by third country vessels but subjected to any of the above processes in Ireland can then be said to be a product of Irish origin under the regulations and therefore can be issued with Export Health Certificates and Certificates of Origin by the SFPA.

In the case of exports to China, the above applies to exports of fishery products. However, an attestation in the Chinese live aquatic animal’s certificate dictates that the species in these consignments must have been farmed or caught under the supervision of the signing competent authority. However, no such attestation is present on the fishery products certificate.

 To that end, for exports to China:

• Fishery products and live aquatic animals caught by Irish flagged vessels or harvested by Food Business Operators under SFPA’s remit – the Chinese specific certificate of origin and Chinese specific Export Health Certificate can be issued by the SFPA
• Fishery products derived from fish caught by third country vessels but processed in Ireland as laid out above – the Chinese specific certificate of origin and Chinese specific Export Health Certificates for fishery products can be issued.
• Live Aquatic Animals caught by third country vessels or harvested by Food Business Operators under the supervision of a competent authority other than the SFPA – Chinese specific certificate of origin and Chinese specific live aquatic animals’ certificate cannot be issued by the SFPA.

The SFPA are committed to supporting compliance with both new and existing legislation and are available to provide guidance. For assistance or further details on the information note, please contact: SFPATradeandAudit@sfpa.ie