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WTO notification · SPS

European UnionUpdated: check whether it is now adopted or in force

Fish; frozen – European Union

Official title

Draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products (Text with EEA relevance)

The European Union issued an addendum on 5 November 2025 to the earlier SPS notification G/SPS/N/EU/844. Addenda often report that a measure was adopted, changed, postponed or withdrawn. The measure was first notified on 25 March 2025. The comment period closed on 24 May 2025.

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Source: WTO ePing (opens in a new tab). Summaries by Expodite, which is independent of the WTO.

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Updated here:

At a glance

Products

Fishery products, highly refined products, food chain information for domestic ungulates that have undergone emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse

HS codes
  • 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates
    • 030341 Frozen albacore or longfinned tunas 'Thunnus alalunga'
    • 030342 Frozen yellowfin tunas 'Thunnus albacares'
    • 030343 Frozen skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito 'Euthynnus -Katsuwonus- pelamis'
    • 030344 Frozen bigeye tunas 'Thunnus obesus'
    • 030345 Frozen Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus orientalis)
    • 030346 Frozen Southern bluefin tunas 'Thunnus maccoyii'
    • 030349 Frozen tunas of the genus 'Thunnus' (excl. Thunnus alalunga, Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus orientalis and Thunnus maccoyii)
Notifying member
European Union
Status
Updated: check whether it is now adopted or in force
Objectives
  • Food safety
Area
SPS: Food safety, animal and plant healthSanitary and phytosanitary measures
Notification type
Regular notification
Document symbol
G/SPS/N/EU/844Latest notice: G/SPS/N/EU/844/Add.1
Keywords
Human health, Food safety, Adoption/publication/entry into force of reg.

Key dates

Distributed by the WTO
Comment deadline
Closed on 24 May 2025
Proposed adoption
4th quarter 2025
Proposed entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

How to comment

The comment period closed on 24 May 2025. You can still raise concerns about the measure with your country's WTO SPS enquiry point, quoting the document symbol G/SPS/N/EU/844/Add.1; it can take them up with the European Union.

Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)

What the notification says

Latest notice (⁨G/SPS/N/EU/844/Add.1⁩, 5 November 2025)

Specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/844 (25 March 2025) is now adopted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1449 of 18 July 2025 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products (Text with EEA relevance). This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. However, point (2) of the Annex to this Regulation shall apply from 27 January 2026.

The draft Regulation establishes conditions for freezing tuna in brine at -18 °C on board freezer vessels. The freezing capacity of the freezer vessel that caught and froze tuna at -18 °C in brine, should be identified during their approval. This will facilitate official controls, by making it easier to identify tuna caught and frozen by vessels that have the appropriate freezing capacity. Tuna derived from those vessels can reach different markets and not to be limited to canning industry. Moreover, Annex III, Section I, Chapter VI to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 allows emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse if complying with certain requirements. Point 5 of that Chapter VI requires a declaration by the food business operator to accompany the slaughtered animal. The content of this declaration is included in the food chain information in accordance with Section III to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. For clarity and avoidance of possible duplication, point 5 of Chapter VI should be replaced by a reference to the food chain information. Finally, Annex III, Section XVI to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific requirements for highly refined products where the treatment of the raw materials eliminates any animal or public health risk. Products of animal origin authorised as food additives in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council are also such highly refined products and should therefore be added to…

Notices on this measure

Every notice about this measure published here, newest first. Each one is the notifying member's own text.

  1. AddendumG/SPS/N/EU/844/Add.1

    Specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products

    The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/844 (25 March 2025) is now adopted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1449 of 18 July 2025 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products (Text with EEA relevance). This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. However, point (2) of the Annex to this Regulation shall apply from 27 January 2026.

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (English) (opens in a new tab)Notified document (French) (opens in a new tab)Notified document (Spanish) (opens in a new tab)

  2. Regular notificationG/SPS/N/EU/844

    Comment deadline: Closed on 24 May 2025

    Draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning specific hygiene rules for emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates, for tuna frozen in brine and for highly refined products (Text with EEA relevance)

    The draft Regulation establishes conditions for freezing tuna in brine at -18 °C on board freezer vessels. The freezing capacity of the freezer vessel that caught and froze tuna at -18 °C in brine, should be identified during their approval. This will facilitate official controls, by making it easier to identify tuna caught and frozen by vessels that have the appropriate freezing capacity. Tuna derived from those vessels can reach different markets and not to be limited to canning industry. Moreover, Annex III, Section I, Chapter VI to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 allows emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse if complying with certain requirements. Point 5 of that Chapter VI requires a declaration by the food business operator to accompany the slaughtered animal. The content of this declaration is included in the food chain information in accordance with Section III to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. For clarity and avoidance of possible duplication, point 5 of Chapter VI should be replaced by a reference to the food chain information. Finally, Annex III, Section XVI to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific requirements for highly refined products where the treatment of the raw materials eliminates any animal or public health risk. Products of animal origin authorised as food additives in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council are also such highly refined products and should therefore be added to…

    Open on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Official WTO document (opens in a new tab)Notified document (English) (opens in a new tab)Notified document (English) (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Expodite writes its summary from the official record. The notification and the documents it notifies are on the WTO's own websites.

All updates from the European Union

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  3. WTO notificationTBTProposed measure, open for comments

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    The purpose of this draft proposal for a Commission Delegated Regulation under Article 37(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the CLP Regulation) is to amend Table 3 of Part 3 of Annex VI to the CLP Regulation by introducing…

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    Symbol: G/TBT/N/EU/1250Comments until 1 January 2027

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    Symbol: G/SPS/N/EU/987Comments until 29 December 2026

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