http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Thai-seafood-industry-face-EU-ban-as-talks-fail?page=2
Bad news for Thailand imply good news for India
BRUSSELS – Talks between Europe and Thailand to address illegal fishing practices and allegations of slave labor have succeeded in staving off a so-called “red card” threat by Brussels to impose a crippling trade ban on the country’s seafood exports. But they have not lifted the “yellow card” warning aimed at keeping pressure on Thailand to radically overhaul its fisheries practices.
Thailand’s fishing industry has been condemned for abuses by the European Union.
The European Commission said on Thursday it could still escalate punitive measures against Thailand by imposing the so-called “red card” sanctions after months of on-site investigations by experts from the European Commission’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries as well as the European External Action Service, the EU’s foreign service.
Such punitive measures could be a major setback for the Thai fishing industry, the third largest in the world after China and Norway, with an estimated 4.8 billion euros ($5.4 billion) of exports every year. Of that, 575 million euros of products are exported to the EU.
"The dialogue is proving difficult and there remain serious concerns about the steps taken by Thailand to fight unreported and unregulated fishing activities," the EC said in its April 21 statement. "This means that further action by the Commission cannot be ruled out."
In response to the latest EU warning, Thai officials from the government's Command Center to Combat Illegal Fishing, the police department and the labor ministry plan to visit Brussels next week to speak publicly about how the country will comply with international fisheries standards.
Officials from both the EC and Thailand will then meet in Brussels in May to further evaluate the Thai fishing industry. If the talks fail, the EU could slap a trade ban on Thailand's seafood industry on the basis it has not fulfilled its duties under international law, EU officials say.
LABOR ISSUES
Working conditions on Thailand’s notorious fishing vessels are also being scrutinized by EEAS teams. At the same time, several teams continue to work on the issue of human trafficking and slave labor in Thailand, which is also delaying the EU’s decision on whether to impose “red card” sanctions.
Brussels first handed Thailand a "yellow card" in 2015, saying the country's legal framework was inadequate for regulating fisheries and criticizing its monitoring and traceability systems. The EU set an action plan and gave Thailand six months to improve practices in its seafood industry.
While those efforts have so far failed to produce adequate results in the EU's view, European officials have refrained from escalating punitive measures - partly out of concern about the tensions an import ban would create with one of Southeast Asia's largest economies, say some officials.
Adding to the already complicated backdrop, European diplomats in Brussels cite disappointment that Thailand’s military has not conducted national elections since seizing power in a coup two years ago. A new constitution unveiled in March has drawn harsh criticism from rights groups who say it gives a disproportionate amount of power to the junta. A referendum on the constitution is due to take place in August and junta chief and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has promised national elections in 2017.
A spokeperson at the Thai embassy to the EU said work was "ongoing" to draft secondary legislation that would result in more effective implementation of measures designed to reduce over-fishing and human trafficking. Brussels' decision to extend the "yellow card" for Thailand on Thursday comes despite months of diplomatic efforts by Bangkok - which last year appointed its ambassador to the United Nations, Virachai Plasai, as its head negotiator -- to convince the EU it was actively reforming its fishing industry practices.
However, human rights groups have been in constant contact with Brussels to keep Thailand on its toes. In February, a group of 27 non-profit organizations wrote to Karmenu Vella, the EU's commissioner for fisheries, maritime affairs and environment, arguing in favor of prolonging the "yellow card" against Thailand.
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