NEW DELHI: India’s seafood export sector has received a significant boost after the European Union (EU) included the country in its revised draft list of nations eligible to continue exporting aquaculture products to the European market beyond September 2026.

The updated draft list, published by the EU on May 12, resolves concerns that arose after India was left out of the earlier Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2598 issued in October 2024. The previous regulation had excluded India from the list of third countries authorised to export animal-origin products for human consumption to the EU after September 2026.

India’s inclusion follows a series of compliance measures undertaken in line with the European Commission’s Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905. The regulation mandates that exporting countries ensure animals and animal products shipped to the EU are free from antimicrobial medicinal products used for growth promotion, as well as antimicrobials reserved for human treatment.

According to the European Commission, the revised list includes countries that have met the EU’s standards on antimicrobial restrictions in food-producing animals and submitted the necessary regulatory assurances.

The development is expected to provide major relief to India’s seafood industry, especially aquaculture exporters with strong dependence on the European market. Once formally adopted by the European Commission, the revised regulation will allow uninterrupted exports of Indian aquaculture products to the EU beyond September 2026.

The EU remains one of the key destinations for Indian seafood exports. In 2025–26, it became India’s third-largest seafood export market, contributing 18.94 per cent of the country’s total seafood export value.

India exported seafood worth nearly US$1.593 billion to the EU during the period, registering growth of 41.45 per cent in value and 38.29 per cent in quantity over 2024–25. Farmed shrimp continued to dominate exports to the European region.

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry said the development reflects increasing global confidence in India’s regulatory systems, food safety standards and residue monitoring framework. It added that the Department of Commerce, along with agencies such as the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Export Inspection Council (EIC), played a crucial role in strengthening compliance systems and promoting responsible aquaculture practices.

India has also enhanced its National Residue Control Programme (NRCP), post-harvest testing infrastructure and surveillance systems for banned antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances. Authorities have stepped up awareness and training programmes to ensure exporters comply with international food safety requirements.

The Ministry noted that India has consistently improved its systems for veterinary medicinal product regulation, antimicrobial residue monitoring, traceability and quality assurance across aquaculture production and seafood processing.

Industry stakeholders view India’s inclusion in the revised EU draft list as the result of sustained technical engagement and regulatory cooperation between India and the European Union. They believe the move will help drive export growth, create employment opportunities and strengthen foreign exchange earnings from the seafood sector.