EU Market Research Articles

Stabilization of biomass ash granules using accelerated carbonation to optimize the preparation of soil improvers

After the revision of the Fertilizer Regulation (EC 2019/1009), biomass ash can be used as component material for soil improvers to be placed on the EU market. This provides opportunities for large scale recycling of biomass ash. However, this material cannot be directly applied to soil without stabilization by carbonation, which also creates an opportunity for CO2 capture and storage. Here, accelerated carbonation in an atmospheric fixed-bed reactor (AFR) was applied to prepare ash granules (AG). Relative humidity of gas, temperature, reaction time and CO2 concentration were optimized and further tested in a closed high-pressure reactor (HPR). Materials resulting from both reactors were compared with those obtained after 1-year of carbonation under atmospheric conditions.This study showed that AFR accelerated tests resulted in a significant reduction of the reaction time than HPR to achieve a similar pH adjustment. Also, under 100 vol.% CO2 atmospheric conditions, pH and electrical conductivity reached target values faster than under 15 vol.% CO2 conditions. Based on results obtained here we recommend AFR operating at 25 °C and 100 vol.% CO2 for 20 h, as the optimal procedure for stabilization of AG. In this study we provide evidence that accelerated carbonation enables a much faster and cost-efficient preparation of potentially valuable soil additives than natural carbonation. Also, leaching tests revealed that plant nutrient availability (B, Mg, Mn, Mo and P) was increased under accelerated carbonation compared to natural carbonation. The present work paves the way towards the development of optimized protocols to effectively recycle biomass ashes for soil recovery.

The Competitive Position of Poland in Bio-Based Products Trade on the European Union Market

Theoretical background: The strategies for the development of the European Union presented at the beginning of the new century portrayed bioeconomy as a modern concept of ensuring the sustainable and dynamic development of EU member states and bioeconomy itself became an important area of interest to the EU authorities. At present, the development of bioeconomy is a significant element of implementing the economic development strategies of respective EU member states. Purpose of the article: This article aimed to examine the international competitive position of Poland in the bio-based products trade on the common EU market in comparison to other member states of the EU. Research methods: The competitive position in bio-based products trade was evaluated based on the following indicators: balance of trade, Poland’s share in EU exports and imports, trade coverage ratio, import penetration ratio, relative export orientation ratio, intra-industry trade intensity ratio, and export specialisation index. Groups of bio-based products identified based on an official classification of products according to CPA, version 2.1, consistent with NACE. The analysis was based on data derived from the Eurostat database for the years 2008–2017. Main findings: The surveys imply that in 2008–2017, the competitive position of Poland improved mostly in the Forestry, Wood products, Paper and paper products, and Food sector, and in particular in the Tobacco products sector, which has been in line with the bioeconomy development strategy of the European Union.

Environmental footprinting of agri-food products traded in the European market

Sustainable food principles and requirements established by the European Union are becoming a standard for all foodstuffs available on the EU market, and it should be taken into account by countries exporting agri-food products, such as Ukraine. The aim of this article is to generalize European milestones for defining sustainable foodstuffs, revealing their key differences from ecological/organic products, differentiating products in the carbon footprint level, and substantiating challenges for exports of agri-food products to the EU in terms of positioning their sustainability. The European market features an increasing differentiation of agri-food products in terms of sustainability and ecology, particularly carbon footprint indicators, which are examined in this article. More stringent monitoring of chemical pesticide and antimicrobial residues in products exported to the EU could be a challenge as the use of these products is expected to be reduced by 50% by 2030. This study substantiates the risks for agricultural production and exports in Ukraine caused by the differentiation of agri-food products in their sustainability indicators, enhancement of monitoring the level of residues of pesticides and active ingredients of veterinary drugs in agri-food products, and limitation of agri-food and agricultural raw material exports to the EU because of heavy greenhouse gas emissions during crop cultivation to produce biofuel. This study analyzes the economic growth of agri-food products that will take place only in the case of avoiding the impoverishment of natural resources, which is formalized based on the Robert Higgins’ model. The results of the research can be used for further strategic planning in the field of agricultural production with environmental regulation.

Opportunities and hurdles to European market access for multi-herbal traditional Chinese medicine products: An analysis of EU regulations for combination herbal medicinal products

TCM herbal remedies are popular among European patients. However, a very limited number of TCM products have been approved as herbal medicinal products (HMPs) in Europe. Multi-herbal TCM products, the most prevalent form of medication in TCM practice, are even rare. This indicates multi-herbal TCM products are facing considerable obstacles in the access to EU market. To further identify such obstacles, we make a systematic analysis of current advances in both EU herbal monographs and combination HMPs granted in member states and present main features of the regulation as well as challenges for multi-herbal TCM products. The results show the EU is open to combination HMPs based on TCM or other non-European traditions. The regulation allows appropriate flexibility in the range of drug extraction rations, variation in concentrations of extraction solvent and number of herbal drugs presented in the product, if plausible pharmacological effects could be justified. Meanwhile, to guarantee the safety and efficacy based on medicinal usage, especially to justify the rationale or plausibility of the combination, is the key element for well-established use or traditional use combination HMPs. Additionally, EU herbal monographs also have great value in their marketing procedure. Nonetheless, there are many challenges in the European market access of multi-herbal TCM products which lies in quality control, safety and efficacy evaluation and others e.g., practical standard for full marketing authorization. Enforced scientific research and communication among research institutions, industries and authorities are necessary to further facilitate the access of multi-herbal TCM products to EU market. The results of this article may provide guidance for HMPs based on TCM or other non-European traditions with intention to entering EU market.

TURKIYE 'S INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF EU INTEGRATION: A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR GEORGIA

Eka Lekashvili
 Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University,
 Georgia
 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9781-7620
 Giorgi Kraveishvili,
 Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University,
 Georgia
 
 Research goal: Within the framework of the grant competition of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, was developed the research project "Formation of industrial policy coordinated with the requirements of EU integration and the possibilities of its implementation in Georgia". The application was developed by the repres­en­ta­tives of the Department of Economic Policy. The actuality of the research problem is determined by the goals of implementation of the requirements of Georgia’s Association Agreement with the Eu­ro­pean Union. The purpose of the mentioned grant project is to analyze the possibilities of the for­ma­tion of the coordinated industrial policy with the requirements of the European Union and its imp­lementation in Georgia. To achieve this goal, it is important to analyze the successful and un­successful experiences of industrial policy development, coordination and implementation of EU member, candidate and potential candidate countries.
 The purpose of this scientific paper is to analyze the experience of development, coordination and implementation the industrial policy of Turkiye, as an associate member of the Eu­ro­pean Union in order to offer recommendations for the development of the industrial policy of Ge­orgia.
 
 Methodology/approach. The research is based on using the analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, chronological and comparison, case study methods, as well as expert assessments, theo­re­tical and applied studies of international organizations and scientific-economists. 
 Fou­nding. The paper discusses the strategic directions and reforms of the industrial policy of Tur­kiye, as an associated country of the European Union, that contributed to the country's economic str­engthening, development and entry into the European Union market. The experience of Turkiye 's ind­ustrial policy clearly shows that without the stimulating policy of national strategic industries, the country would not be able to participate in the competitive struggle in the EU market. By imp­lem­enting industry-supporting measures from the state, appropriate environmental conditions were cre­ated for the strengthening of domestic industry, which reflected the development of Turkiye, as a country.
 
 Originality/scientific innovation. The scientific novelty of the paper is analyzed and pro­ce­ssed valid information and scientific conclusions about the evolution of modern Turkish industrial po­licy, that is provided to the Georgian scientific community, policy makers and interested parties in a syst­ematized format with scientific objectivity and impartiality.
 Pra­c­tical value/consequences. Studying the successful experience of Turkiye, as the neighbor, the main trade-economic and strategic partner of Georgia, recommendations formed for creation and imp­lementation of industrial policy, that will support the process of integrating Georgia into the Eu­ropean Union, taking into account not only the sovereign, but also the regional context.
 
 Key words: Georgia, Turkiye, industrial policy.

Vietnam’s Seafood Export to the EU Market in the Context of the EVFTA Implementation

Vietnam has advantages in seafood export, and has many opportunities to promote seafood exports to the EU market since the EVFTA Agreement took effect. The research paper shows that Vietnam's seafood export turnover to the EU market in the years 2010-2021 has many fluctuations, in which in terms of export structure, the export turnover of shrimp and tuna products had good growth but the export turnover of pangasius decreased continuously. By studying the current situation of Vietnam's seafood exports to the EU, assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of Vietnam when exporting seafood to this market, the paper proposes some solutions to continue promoting seafood exports in the context of the EVFTA implementation.

Food inauthenticity: Authority activities, guidance for food operators, and mitigation tools.

Historically, food fraud was a major public health concern which helped drive the development of early food regulations in many markets including the US and EU market. In the past 10 years, the integrity of food chains with respect to food fraud has again been questioned due to high profile food fraud cases. We provide an overview of the resulting numerous authoritative activities underway within different regions to counter food fraud, and we describe the guidance available to the industry to understand how to assess the vulnerability of their businesses and implement appropriate mitigation. We describe how such controls should be an extension of those already in place to manage wider aspects of food authenticity, and we provide an overview of relevant analytical tools available to food operators and authorities to protect supply chains. Practical Application: Practical Application of the provided information by the food industry in selecting resources (guidance document, analytical methods etc.).

The Cross-Border Health Services Market in EU

The Cross-Border Health Services Market in EU

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF KENYA’S HORTICULTURE EXPORT PERFORMANCE 2010 – 2021

Purpose: The horticulture sector in Kenya has consistently dominated agricultural sector’s contribution to the economy’s GDP growth over the last two decades. This paper assesses the export performance of horticulture sector’s three main components of cut flowers, fruits and fresh vegetables for the period 2010 – 2021. The paper also sought to identify the challenges that affect the horticulture sector and propose ways of addressing the challenges.
 Methodology: The study utilized secondary annual time series data collected from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Kenya and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and draw inferences and conclusions.
 Findings: The study shows that the value of export revenues from cut flowers have been consistently higher than the earnings from fruits and fresh vegetables for the twelve year period from 2010 to 2021 with the highest earnings being recorded in 2018 when the subsector earned Ksh 113 Billion. Fresh vegetables recorded higher earnings than fruits over the same period, except for the year 2021 when fruit earnings were higher (at Ksh 27 Billion) than earnings from fresh vegetables (at Ksh 18 Billion). This is despite the fact that fruit volumes were lower than the vegetable volumes, implying that the export prices for the fruits were much better than the vegetable prices. Results also show that when real GDP dipped to negative 0.3 per cent in 2020 mainly due to the effects of COVID 19, horticulture export earnings stood at Ksh 151 Billion, perhaps a display of sectoral resilience to the adverse economic effects associated with COVID 19. There does not seem to be a clear relationship between real GDP growth and export earnings from horticulture products during the ten-year period of analysis. This tends to invalidate the export-led growth hypothesis. Key challenges facing the sector include overreliance on the EU market, pest infestation, low production and productivity and high cost of airfreight.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Based on these findings, the paper concludes that Kenya’s export performance is way below its potential and recommends increased production to meet global demand and diversification of markets and product range.

Is There “a Chinese Effect” On EU-15 Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe?

This paper aims to empirically verify the possible existence of “a Chinese effect ”, that is, a substitution effect between the Chinese and the EU-15 investment in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, which has been recently involved in the Belt and Road and 17+1 Initiatives. Such an effect can result from the strengthened political orientation of several CEEauthoritarian populist and illiberal elites towards China, which can, in turn, discourage the EU-15 from investing in the CEE region. Despite intensified Sino-CEE political relations, the results of the analysis conducted on 15 CEE countries during 2010–2018 suggest that the Chinese FDI does not substitute for investment from the EU-15 market since the expectations regarding the FDI cooperation between China and the CEE region have not been met. Moreover, most of the Chinese investment has been made via mergers and acquisitions, and not via greenfield FDI, which may lead to exaggerations of the relatively weak Chinese influence in the CEE region.

The Eastern Mediterranean Energy Bonanza: A Piece in the Regional and Global Geopolitical Puzzle, and the Role of the European Union

Abstract This article examines current energy-related disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean. It does so by situating them in the context of the Middle East’s broader geopolitical landscape and by showing how global powers’ interests and involvement have become contingent on the international and regional political environments. The latter augmented the intensity of the contestation and helped move identifiable and tangible factors, such as Exclusive Economic Zones, into the imaginative realms of geopolitics. They also provided the concerned actors with opportunities to balance out their adversaries and, by implication, diminished their willingness to compromise. Although the global powers’ interest in Eastern Mediterranean energy resources is limited, the European Union does have interests in these reserves and related aspects. The fact that the monetisation of these resources is highly dependent on the EU market provides the EU with an immense amount of “buyer power” to stabilise the region and potentially balance the fears of both Greece and Turkey.

Impact of the FLEGT license on Indonesian plywood competitiveness in the European Union

Indonesia is the only country with the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade) license that allows them to sell plywood in the EU market. However, an assessment of the impact of FLEGT on Indonesian plywood competitiveness has not yet been made. This study aims to determine the impact of the FLEGT license on Indonesian plywood competitiveness in the EU market. The study was conducted using secondary data from January 1999 to July 2021. RCA, two-stage least squares, and Propensity Score Matching were used to analyse the data. The result shows that the FLEGT license has deceased Indonesian plywood competitiveness in the EU market. However, this condition is still better than implementing the Voluntary Partnership Agreements phase. Indonesian plywood competitiveness has also reduced due to the increase in the consumer price index and the Indonesian plywood price. Therefore, we recommend strengthening the promotion of Indonesian plywood in EU countries, educating Indonesian plywood stakeholders about the FLEGT system, and managing the inflation rate.

Customs Smuggling of Goods Infringing the Intellectual Property Rights in the European Union

This research article aims to investigate the customs smuggling of intellectual property rights infringing goods in the EU. There is no doubt that it is a phenomenon that has accompanied humanity from the beginning of the development of trade, it cannot be eliminated, but its scale can be limited (D. Matthews, P. Žikovska, 2013). The analysis used data taken from reports on intellectual property right enforcement in the EU in 2009-2020. The results show the scale and new trends in customs smuggling of goods on the EU market, but the analyses carried out do not provide a clear basis lo conclude [hat the EU customs authorities are winning the fight against customs smuggling, despite the observed decrease in confiscated goods or the number of opened proceedings, as these drops are largely related to the lockdown due lo Covid-19 and the placing of goods with high customs risk under customs control.

Does Poland's agri-food industry gain comparative advantage in trade with non-EU countries? Evidence from the transatlantic market.

Accession of Poland to the European Single Market generated trade creation and diversion effects, which in turn resulted in a high degree of concentration of the Polish foreign trade in agri-food products with other EU countries. On the one hand, a high share of export to the markets of countries with a stable market economy is a confirmation of the Polish agri-food sector’s capacity to compete on the foreign markets. On the other hand, when considering limited capability to increase food demand in the EU it provides grounds for the assumption that further export expansion to a considerable extent will depend on the potential expansion of sale to non-EU markets. In this context significant issues include diversification of target markets and search for prospective markets outside the EU, while they also determine directions of an advantageous export specialization. In the period up to 2021 the USA was the fourth non-EU export partner of Poland in the agri-food sector after the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the level of comparative advantages of the Polish agri-food sector on the EU and US markets in 2004–2021 using Widodo’s products mapping technique. The study used statistical data from the ComExt database of the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). The conducted studies showed Polish export specializations in the transatlantic trade, as confirmed by high comparative advantages, as well as a positive and steadily improving trade balances for food preparations, including meat, cereal, fruit and vegetable, as well as confectionery preparations, and less processed animal origin products (meat and offal as well as dairy produce). Poland had a disadvantageous competitive position in trade of products complementary in relation to domestic production, which import was necessary. In view of the comparative cost theory the directions of the realized export specialization were rational and should be maintained. While in trade with the other EU countries the competitive position of the Polish agri-food sector was weakened, it was strengthened on the US market. In view of the considerable EU market saturation the improved competitive capacity in the non-EU markets is a positive development, which is a promising finding particularly in the long-term perspective.

Financing Energy Transition in Poland: Possible Contribution of EU Funds

There is a general agreement that the energy transition is necessary on a global scale to avert the threat of a climate catastrophe and that it is very costly. In the EU, this transition is supported by funds under the Multilateral Financial Framework and the New Generation EU Facility. The purpose of the paper is to identify EU financial instruments available for Poland to support the energy transformation, to estimate their scale and assess chances to use these funds. The research methods applied are a critical review of Polish and EU documents and methods of statistical analysis. Against the background of European Green Deal strategy, the author identifies EU funds available for Poland for low emission transition and estimates their size. The paper also addresses the EU institutions’ allegations of violating the EU law by Poland. Main conclusions are as follows. The huge EU support for energy transition is at risk, due to Poland’s refusal to comply with the EU law, as assessed by Commission and the Court of Justice of the EU. This situation creates a double cost for Poland: of non-used EU money and of high penalties for the rejection of the CJEU orders. Costs of the energy transformation are inevitable and must be incurred in Poland not only due to the adaptation to the requirements of the EGD, but also due to the fact that a large part of the Polish energy sector is old and will require replacement in any case. Moreover, Polish products may be denied access to EU market due to non- compliance with EU environmental standards. The EU funds should be a good opportunity to move away from coal and develop new eco-friendly industries. Without energy transformation in Poland, the EU results of climate protection policy will be limited, as the country is one of the biggest GHG emitters. Keywords: EU climate policy, energy transition, EU funds for Poland, greenhouse gas emissions, National Recovery Plan

Towards the Development of a Medical App for the Detection of Diabetic Foot Syndrome and Pressure Ulcers

Abstract Diabetic foot syndrome is a secondary disease of diabetes mellitus that can lead to amputations, reduced mobility and in some cases death if treatment is delayed. The objective of this study was to collect user requirements for the development of a shoe insole accompanied by a medical app for continuous pressure measurement, applying a usercentered Design Thinking process.We conducted a systematic competitor analysis and performed 10 context-interviews with both health care professionals (HCPs) (n=7) and patients with diabetic foot syndrome (n=3) at the University Hospital Graz (Austria) and a medical supply store. Structured interview guides, tailored to user groups were used for qualitative interviews. Questionnaires on the acceptance of eHealth applications were designed for quantitative analysis (n=14 patients, n=7 HCPs). The competitor analysis identified 12 inshoe- systems for plantar pressure measurement for patients with diabetes. No current system on the EU market meets the requirements of the users interviewed in this study. Quantitative evaluation showed that 95% of future users would support the use of a medical app to monitor plantar pressure in patients with diabetic foot syndrome. Based on the identified user requirements, a first user interface was developed iteratively. Usability tests of the prototype resulted in a score of 71.7 on the System Usability Scale. The medical app will be further developed and tested in clinical studies.

Fruit safety regulations in the transatlantic region: How are Africa’s exports faring with the regulations?

The regulations of fruit trade for safe consumption are taken seriously in the EU and US markets to protect the health of the consumers, animals, plants and environmental safety, and thereby reduce health expenditures. The fruit safety regulations as trade policy measures could be either trade-promoting or -impeding. The extensiveness and intensiveness of fruit safety regulations in these markets often have consequences for exporters from Africa and their desire to attain sustainable economic development. The effects of fruit safety regulations are heterogeneous across economic agents. To this end, many stakeholders in Africa’s food system have perceived compliance with these food regulatory measures as necessary conditions to access the developed countries’ markets, particularly in the EU and US. Besides, the competitiveness of Africa’s fruit exports has been impacted by the preponderance of the measures despite its comparative advantages in the fruits sub-sector. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of the EU and US sanitary and phytosanitary measures on Africa’s fruit exports. The empirical strategy involves the use of an augmented gravity model which explore the disentangling of these impact at the extensive and intensive margins of exports. Given the nature of trade data and specifically for this study, the zero trade flows are considered at both margins of exports for 45 African countries from 1995 to 2017. This study finds that the US market is more trade-impeding to Africa’s fruit exports than the EU market. Thus, Africa needs policies tweaking in the fruit value chain quality infrastructure, fruits’ quality and standards enforcement, capacity development, continuous update and modernisation of the fruits’ safety laws, directives and/or regulations. This will enhance the fruits’ quality to propel their access to the transatlantic markets.

The Dutch Hyacorp® filler catastrophe: new EU legislation will prevent this from happening again

In 2014, the hyaluronic acid-based fillers, Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp H-S (H-800), were withdrawn from the Dutch market after concerns about their safety To determine the most plausible factors for the increased number of adverse events, either patient-related factors or those inherent to the filler itself. We also assessed how new European legislation will affect the approval process for new fillers and improve related safety issues A total of 42 patients–37 women (88%) and five men (11%)–were included. Patients were separated into three groups: 13 patients injected with Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp H-S (H-800) who had reported inflammatory adverse events; 12 injected with Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp H-S (H-800) who had not reported inflammatory adverse events; and 17 injected with other HA fillers who had reported inflammatory adverse events Patients treated with Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp-S (H-800) who reported adverse events were significantly older than those in the Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp-S (H-800) group without adverse events, and the filler remained in situ for significantly longer than in patients who had adverse events related to another HA filler Hyacorp-1000 and Hyacorp-S (H-800) filler is associated with an increased chance of developing adverse events compared to other HA fillers, probably because it remains in the body for a longer period of time. The upcoming legislative EU update of the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) will prevent unsafe filler from entering the EU market and will enable issues related to safety to be identified much earlier

Early Dynamics of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-DNA and Surface Antigen (HBsAg) in Ramp-Up Phase of Viremia: Implications for Performance Evaluation of Blood Screening Assays.

The Common Specifications/EU 2017/746 regulation for market approval of class D in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs) intended for detection of blood borne viruses requires testing of the International Standard and 10–30 seroconversion panels to demonstrate ‘state of the art’ assay performance. We examined whether these requirements for performance evaluation are reasonable for HBV-DNA and HBsAg assays. For this purpose, we quantified HBsAg and HBV-DNA (genotype A) in the ramp-up phase of five seroconversion panels and demonstrated a remarkably parallel increase in the Log concentration of both analytes over time. Testing of seroconversion panels by three nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) methods in multiple replicates and probit analysis with sufficient critical samples from all five panels taken together showed detection limits in copies/mL that were comparable to those on a HBV-DNA genotype A standard dilution panel. This indicates that the viral doubling time in the ramp-up phase is equal above and below the quantification limit of the viral load assay. The geometric mean HBsAg (PRISM) cutoff crossing point was 20 days later than the 50% NAT (Ultrio Plus) conversion point equivalent to 1500 (range: 1100–2200) and 4.8 (CI: 3.7–6.4) HBV-DNA copies/mL, respectively. Analytical sensitivity data of different NAT assay versions obtained over a decade demonstrated that the detection limit on the International Standard is not representative of all genotyped reference samples. From our detailed mathematical analysis, we conclude that HBV-DNA and HBsAg standard dilution series are functionally equivalent to seroconversion panels. A general requirement of a 95% detection limit ≤100 HBV-DNA copies/mL for different viral genotypes would be a better-defined regulation for EU market approval of NAT blood screening assays than the testing of multiple seroconversion panels to claim ‘state of the art’ performance.

New official Bulgarian list of seafood trade names: coping with EU labelling requirements and market trends to enhance consumers’ informed choice

The present study aimed at assessing the validity and accuracy of the new official Bulgarian list of seafood trade names in compliance with EU requirements, and the list evolution and adherence to the Bulgarian market trends. The new list consists of 88 commercial designations (CD) associated with 81 scientific names (SN) provided as 72 species, 8 genera and 1 family mostly belonging to the fish category (86.4%, SN = 70) . The list analysis highlighted the presence of 14 invalid SN (17.3%), with an obsolete classification. In terms of adherence to the Bulgarian market’s trend the inclusion of 51 new SN reflecting fishing data in total, both from inland waters and along the Black Sea coast was pointed out. However, 44 SN relating to commercially relevant species and currently available at purchase were deleted. In terms of accuracy, the introduction of SN as family, the significant reduction of CDs and the use of vague CDs lead the list to distance itself from the one name-one fish conception, proposed at international level, as ideal approach for unambiguous product identification by the consumer. To conclude, the analysis shows a clear will of the national Bulgarian Legislator to enhance local fisheries and aquaculture trade. Nevertheless, major issues related to the SN validity and the non-adherence to seafood market trends are highlighting the ineffectiveness of the current list in describing retail seafood products. This emphasizes the urgency to provide a further substantial list revision.