EU Includes India In Revised Draft List For Continued Aquaculture Exports

New Delhi, May 14 (KNN) The European Union has included India in its revised draft list for continued export of aquaculture products to the European market from September 2026, providing a major boost to India’s seafood export sector.

The revised draft list was published by the European Union on May 12, 2026, following compliance measures undertaken by India in accordance with European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905 related to antimicrobial use in food-producing animals.

India had earlier been omitted from Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2598 issued in October 2024, which listed third countries authorised to export animal-origin products intended for human consumption to the EU market from September 2026 onward.

According to the European Commission, the updated draft list includes countries that have demonstrated compliance with EU regulations concerning restrictions on antimicrobial medicinal products and have provided necessary guarantees under the bloc’s food safety framework.

The development is expected to ensure uninterrupted exports of Indian aquaculture products to the EU market once the revised regulation is formally adopted.

The European Union emerged as India’s third-largest seafood export market during 2025–26, accounting for 18.94 per cent of total seafood export value at approximately USD 1.593 billion. 

Exports to the EU recorded growth of 41.45 per cent in value terms and 38.29 per cent in quantity over the previous year, with farmed shrimp remaining the dominant export product.

The Ministry stated that the revised draft list recognises efforts undertaken by Marine Products Export Development Authority and Export Inspection Council to strengthen regulatory compliance, residue monitoring and responsible aquaculture practices.

Initiatives such as the National Residue Control Programme, post-harvest testing systems, surveillance mechanisms for banned antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, along with stakeholder awareness programmes, have contributed to strengthening India’s food safety and traceability systems in the seafood sector.

The government said the development reflects continued technical engagement and regulatory cooperation between India and the European Union and is expected to support export growth, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings from the seafood industry.

(KNN Bureau)