Information for Importers and Exporters of Fisheries Products

Article 14(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, amending Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1936/2001 and (EC) No 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1093/94 and (EC) No 1447/1999, hereinafter referred to as Regulation No 1005/2008, provides that importers of fisheries products seeking to import fisheries products processed in a third country other than the flag State must submit to the competent authorities of that country the statement provided for in Annex IV to Regulation No 1005/2008, namely the Processing Statement document.

Lithuanian operators must submit this document when transporting fisheries products to third countries, for example, the United Kingdom.

The Processing Statement document must be signed and endorsed by the competent authority of the flag State.

The Fisheries Service reminds that, by Resolution No 458 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 April 2010 “On the Designation of Institutions Responsible for the Implementation of European Union Legal Acts Establishing the Procedure for the Import, Export and Re-export of Fisheries Products”, the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania has been designated as the competent authority responsible for issuing and endorsing the statements provided for in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, checking export and re-export documents, and issuing the Non-Manipulation Certificate.

In implementing the IUU Regulations and in accordance with Resolution No 458 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 April 2010 “On the Designation of Institutions Responsible for the Implementation of European Union Legal Acts Establishing the Procedure for the Import, Export and Re-export of Fisheries Products”, the following institutions of the Republic of Lithuania have been designated as responsible for implementing European Union legal acts establishing the procedure for the import, export and re-export of fisheries products:

1. Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania

The Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania has been designated as the competent authority responsible for:

1.1. receiving prior notifications of the intended arrival of third-country fishing vessels at Klaipėda State Seaport;

1.2. inspecting landing and transhipment operations of third-country fishing vessels at Klaipėda State Seaport;

1.3. inspecting landing and transhipment operations of fishing vessels of European Union Member States at Klaipėda State Seaport in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 640/2010;

1.4. issuing ICCAT bluefin tuna catch document forms, hereinafter referred to as catch documents, under Regulation (EU) No 640/2010 to fishing vessels flying the flag of the Republic of Lithuania;

1.5. endorsing catch certificates, statistical documents, catch documents and catch documentation issued for the export to third countries of fisheries products caught by fishing vessels flying the flag of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as their annexes and copies, and submitting copies of these documents to the European Commission and other interested institutions and organisations;

1.6. granting the status of authorised economic operator;

1.7. coordinating the collection and verification of information on the activities of national entities engaged in or supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and notifying the European Commission thereof;

1.8. performing the functions of the responsible single liaison office referred to in Article 39 of Regulation (EC) No 1010/2009 and of the information centre referred to in Article 10(3) of Regulation (EU) No 640/2010;

1.9. submitting to the European Commission the information referred to in Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, the report referred to in Article 55(1) of that Regulation, and the report referred to in Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) No 640/2010.

2. Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

The Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, or another customs office authorised by the Director General of the Customs Department, has been designated as the competent authority responsible for:

2.1. receiving and checking catch certificates, re-export certificates, statistical import documents, re-export statements, catch documents, catch documentation and other documents which, in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, are recognised as catch certificates and are submitted when importing fisheries products;

2.2. receiving and checking catch certificates, statistical export documents, catch documents and catch documentation submitted when exporting fisheries products;

2.3. checking and endorsing the re-export section of catch certificates, re-export certificates and re-export statements submitted when re-exporting fisheries products;

2.4. receiving and endorsing statements under Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.