Notification from Brussels has given Portugal two months to address “structural deficiencies” in the application of the EU’s catch certification scheme, which aims to prevent the entry of illegally, unreported, and unregulated caught fish into the EU market.
The European Commission argues that Portugal has consistently failed to verify the origin of fish products from third countries, enabling significant quantities of high-value, irregularly caught fish to enter the EU.
If Lisbon fails to address the issues raised by the Commission, Brussels will proceed to the second phase of the process, submitting a reasoned opinion.
