Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met a European Commission (EC) delegation on Wednesday during its fifth visit to review the country’s efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as Hanoi seeks the removal of the European Union’s “yellow card” warning on its seafood exports.
The delegation, led by Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Director for International Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries at the European Commission, is assessing Vietnam’s progress in addressing EU recommendations.
Chinh said Vietnam was committed to sustainable fisheries development and would continue working closely with the Commission to meet its requirements. He expressed hope the EU would soon lift the yellow card, which has been in place since 2017.
The prime minister said Vietnam’s crackdown on IUU fishing was aimed not only at complying with EU rules but also at protecting marine resources and maintaining the country’s international reputation.
In recent years, Vietnam has tightened its legal framework, strengthened fleet monitoring, imposed heavier penalties for violations and improved seafood traceability, including the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), according to the government.
The EU is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner, while Vietnam is the bloc’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. Two-way trade reached nearly USD 74 billion in 2025. The EU is also Vietnam’s sixth-largest foreign investor.
Guimaraes said the Commission had observed “significant progress” over more than eight years of engagement, particularly in fisheries monitoring and traceability systems.
He said Vietnam still needed to address remaining shortcomings but expressed confidence the country could meet the EU’s recommendations, adding that the Commission would continue to work with Hanoi on the issue.
VFM
