Review of Official Control Regulations (OCR) for shellfish production | Seafish

Review of Official Control Regulations (OCR) for shellfish production

Learn about the review of Official Control Regulations for shellfish, comparing EU practices and suggesting a shift to risk-based controls.



In 2019 the Shellfish Stakeholder Working Group (SSWG) commissioned Seafish to review the Official Control Regulations (OCR) for shellfish production. 

The OCR are designed to manage potential human health risks. They include a site classification system based on the levels of E. coli contamination in shellfish flesh. This report examines how these controls are applied across different EU Member States and identifies areas where there is flexibility or deviation in implementation. 

Scope of the review 

The review includes case studies of the key European bivalve mollusc producers: France, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Sweden. It also assesses Norway (as part of the European Free Trade Association) and compares EU regulations with those in the USA, Canada and New Zealand.

Key considerations 

  • The review examines: How the legislation and the EU Good Practice Guidance are applied.
  • How high and anomalous E. coli results are handled in different countries.
  • When such results might be removed from the classification datasets. 

Findings and recommendations 

The review highlights differences across Member State in the implementation of official controls. It also notes how the EU assesses equivalence for official controls in third countries. The report sets out a series of proposals for moving to a more risk-based implementation of official controls, which has been a long-term goal for the shellfish industry. 

Download the full report 

To download our report, click the link below:

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