Egypt has received approval to export its farmed fish products to the E.U., marking the first time Egypt has gained approval to ship its aquaculture products to the bloc and providing the North African nation with a vote of confidence in the quality of its aquaculture production.
Egypt's National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) largely attributed the approval, which is expected to take effect in the third quarter of 2026, to investments made in meeting technical requirements to ensure full compliance with relevant European standards.
“This achievement comes as a result of effective coordination and integration between concerned national authorities, foremost of which is the National Food Safety Authority, in cooperation with international partners, where an integrated package of technical evidence was presented that confirms Egypt's full commitment to the control and quality system approved by the European Union,” NFSA said.
Seafood trade relations between Egypt and the E.U. gained momentum after the bloc lifted a multi-year ban on Egyptian wild-caught products in 2024. The ban was lifted after the European Commission conducted an evaluation of the country's trading and control system for marine fish production and found it had made meaningful improvements since the ban was implemented in 2021.
Since then, Egypt has also made improvements to its aquaculture standards that were necessary to meet E.U. import criteria, such as implementing “residue control plans for pharmacologically active substances, pesticides, and contaminants.”
The exporting countries must also ensure aquaculture establishments must be listed for export by the exporting country, and must be included in a list published by the European Commission.
According to AGRINFO, which is an E.U.-funded platform that helps food exporters and government authorities in lower-income countries meet E.U. regulations, “exporting countries must be authorized and listed by the European Commission as having appropriate controls of restrictions on the use of certain antibiotics/antimicrobial medicinal products.”
Furthermore, aquaculture products entering the E.U. market from a non-E.U. country “must meet specific labeling requirements, including the scientific name and commercial designation of the species, production method, and area where the product was farmed.”
The E.U. now joins other key export markets for Egyptian fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and other aquatic invertebrates, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United States.
Egypt is Africa's top aquaculture producer, accounting for two-thirds of the continent’s total farmed fish.
