Overseas
Imported caviar from non-EU countries has become a test case in European aquaculture’s call for greater origin transparency. FEAP warns that processing or repackaging within the EU can make the country where the product was actually produced less immediately clear to consumers. The issue is part of a wider debate in Brussels over extending mandatory information to processed seafood and foodservice.
Caviar highlights a problem affecting a much broader segment of the European seafood market: a product may be fully traceable throughout the supply chain without all the information about its origin reaching the final consumer with the same clarity.
This distinction is at the heart of the European Federation of Aquaculture Producers’ request for greater attention. When caviar from non-EU countries passes through European operators and packers, consumers may find it more difficult to identify the country where it was actually produced.
This does not mean that imported caviar becomes European or is necessarily presented as such. The issue is whether consumers can distinguish, without ambiguity, the country of production from the place where subsequent processing or packaging took place.
Caviar becomes a test case for transparency in Europe
For EU producers, the issue is not limited to consumer information. It also concerns competition.
Caviar is a high-value aquaculture product whose origin, species, production system and reputation directly affect its commercial positioning. FEAP has long called for specific labelling rules for caviar and, more broadly, for clearer information on the countries of origin of processed seafood products.
In its position on the future of European aquaculture, the Federation explicitly identified specific caviar labelling rules and greater origin transparency for processed products among its priorities.
The economic significance of the issue is far from marginal. According to FEAP data, Italy remained Europe’s leading caviar producer in 2024, with approximately 65 tonnes, representing just under one-third of total European production. In a market where Europe is both a producer and a destination for imports from non-EU countries, origin transparency therefore has direct competitive value for European aquaculture.
Traceability does not yet mean explaining the product to consumers
The distinction is essential. Traceability and consumer information address related needs, but they are not the same thing.
Article 35 of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 requires certain categories of fishery and aquaculture products to provide information including the commercial designation and scientific name of the species, the production method, the area where the product was caught or farmed and, for wild-caught products, the category of fishing gear used.
However, the same level of information does not apply in the same way to all prepared and preserved seafood products. This regulatory gap is now at the centre of the European debate.
The issue also has a commercial dimension. Consumer confidence in seafood increasingly depends on the ability to communicate origin, production methods and supply-chain characteristics clearly, as highlighted by the relationship between seafood labels, transparency and purchasing decisions.
The Brussels request goes far beyond caviar
On 3 September 2026, the issue was brought directly before the European Commission. A delegation from the “Follow the Fish” movement met European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis in Brussels, calling for a revision of the rules governing the Common Market Organisation.
The request submitted to the European Commission is clear: essential information should be available for all seafood products, regardless of how extensively they have been processed or where they are sold or served. For wild-caught seafood, the movement is calling for stronger disclosure of information including species, catch area, flag State and fishing method.
Consumers buying whole or filleted fresh and frozen fish currently receive a more detailed set of information. Some of the same details are not mandatory for canned products, seafood preparations, ready meals or dishes served in restaurants and other foodservice establishments.
Traceability rules will also change in 2029
At the same time, the European Union is strengthening its traceability system.
Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 established a specific path towards new traceability requirements for fishery and aquaculture products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1604 and 1605, which include many prepared and preserved products.
The European Commission must define those requirements through delegated acts, based on a study of the systems and solutions available. The Regulation establishes that the new provisions will apply from 10 January 2029.
The two issues should not be confused. The new traceability rules are intended to strengthen the flow of information throughout the supply chain. The request brought to Brussels concerns which parts of that information must reach consumers in a mandatory, clear and understandable form.
This is why the caviar case matters to the entire seafood supply chain. When origin and production methods contribute to a product’s economic value, making them clearly recognisable also becomes a tool for fair competition.
For European aquaculture, the request therefore goes far beyond changing the label of a premium product. The objective is to ensure that the value created through origin, production standards and traceability is not lost in the final step between the supply chain and the consumer.
