Two Spanish MEPs from the European People's Party have asked the European Commission whether it assessed the economic impact of fully liberalising tuna fillet imports from Indonesia under the EU-Indonesia trade agreement, and whether Indonesian health and food safety standards are equivalent to EU requirements. Francisco José Millán Mon and Gabriel Mato, in a written parliamentary question dated 21 May 2026, warn that the agreement treats tuna fillets differently from other tuna products such as loins and canned tuna, which remain subject to tariff quotas. They argue that fillets are a high value-added segment where the EU fleet has invested heavily, and that full liberalisation could lead to a surge in imports destined for direct consumption, potentially undermining EU operators.
The question, submitted under Rule 144 of Parliament's rules of procedure, cites recent media coverage in Spanish outlets La Voz de Galicia and ABC, which reported that the European tuna fleet fears unfair competition from Indonesian imports that may not meet EU standards. The MEPs ask two specific questions: first, whether the Commission carried out a specific economic impact assessment of eliminating tariffs on tuna fillets for the EU tuna fleet; second, whether the Commission considers the guarantees offered by Indonesian operators' standards to be equivalent to those applicable to EU operators, particularly regarding health and food safety.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will signal whether it shares the MEPs' concerns and whether it plans to take any mitigating measures. The question highlights a tension between trade liberalisation and the protection of EU fisheries competitiveness, with potential impacts on EU tuna producers, processors, and consumers, as well as on the EU's trade relationship with Indonesia. The MEPs' intervention suggests that the European Parliament may scrutinise the agreement's implementation more closely, especially regarding sensitive sectors where EU producers face direct competition from third-country imports with potentially lower regulatory costs.
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