MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Officials optimistic following EC inspection mission

Uruguay last week successfully passed inspections undertaken by the Food and Veterinary Office Follow-up Mission of the European Commission's (EC) DG SANCO agency, governmental sources announced.

The objective of the visit was to verify that the actions proposed in February by Uruguay's Competent Authority (CA), the National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (DINARA), were carried out. Complying with this requirement automatically empowers the country to recommend new plants and vessels to the European Commission's (EC) Consolidated List of entities allowed to export to the European Union (EU). The European delegation evaluated the CA, its inspection procedures, corrective follow-up actions, and laboratory. They also verified controls carried out by authorised facilities and two non-authorised facilities - proposed by DINARA - and building infrastructure improvements, which was one of the main remarks made during the inspections carried out by the Mission in November 2007. The Mission inspected 8 out of 11 listed facilities and two plants proposed by DINARA that were in the process of adopting EC standards at the time, one of the latter is among the largest facilities of its kind in the country. Results from the visit were extremely positive, Uruguayan fisheries authorities stated, highlighting that FVO inspectors were able to verify the improvement in CA procedures and in plant and vessel infrastructure, which involved in some cases a significant investment by part of the private sector. They believe the final report will be favourable and so pave the way for the industry to regain its previous exporter status only five months after negative observations were made by the previous mission visiting in November. The two new plants are expected to be granted authorisation to recommence production and exports to Europe once the reports are received by Brussels. (FIS)