EU Clears India for Aquaculture Products Exports from September 2026
The European Union has included India in its revised draft list allowing continued export of aquaculture products from September 2026. The move follows India’s compliance with EU antimicrobial regulations and ensures uninterrupted seafood exports. The EU remains India’s third-largest seafood market, with exports growing strongly in 2025-26.
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India has been included in the revised draft list published by the European Union on 12 May 2026 for continued export of aquaculture products to the EU market, addressing concerns arising from the earlier omission in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2598 issued on 4 October 2024. The earlier regulation had not included India among third countries authorised to export products of animal origin intended for human consumption to the EU from September 2026.
The revised draft list follows compliance measures undertaken by India in line with the European Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905, which requires exporting countries to ensure that animals and animal products exported to the EU are free from the use of antimicrobial medicinal products for growth promotion and antimicrobials reserved for human treatment.
The European Commission, in its press communication dated 12 May 2026, stated that the updated list includes countries that have demonstrated compliance with EU restrictions on antimicrobial use in food-producing animals and have provided the necessary guarantees and assurances under EU regulations.
India’s proposed inclusion is a major positive development for the country’s seafood export sector and reflects the European Union’s confidence in India’s regulatory systems, residue monitoring mechanisms and food safety standards. Once formally adopted by the European Commission, the revised regulation is expected to ensure uninterrupted export of Indian aquaculture products to the EU market beyond September 2026.
The European Union is one of the key destinations for Indian seafood exports. During 2025-26, the EU emerged as the third-largest market for Indian seafood exports, accounting for 18.94 per cent of total export value, worth US$ 1.593 billion. Exports to the EU recorded significant growth over 2024-25, with export value rising by 41.45 per cent and quantity by 38.29 per cent. Farmed shrimp continued to constitute the major share of exports to the region.
