Context: On September 16, 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that Canada had been offered the opportunity to become the EU’s first associate member. This status did not exist before, and its exact implications are still unclear. Brussels is also proposing a new alliance with Canada focusing on technology, energy, defense, and critical raw materials. President Donald Trump called the idea ridiculous and described Canada as a “terrible trade partner.” He threatened the European Union with new tariffs or even a trade embargo if Brussels continues to strengthen ties with Ottawa.
On September 14, 2026, Vadzim Yalfimau, a political analyst and host, said on Radio Minsk that the European Union had banned the Baltic States from harvesting sprat for production to benefit Spanish and Portuguese fishermen. According to him, Moldova was also banned from producing wine and brandy.
“I can say that they’ve been prohibited from catching sprat. Because once you’ve joined the EU, it’s back and forth. Then there’s Portugal and Spain. They have their own fishermen and sardines, which are similar to sprats. Maybe sprats even taste better — to my taste, at least; I don’t know. Well, they said: ‘You shouldn’t do it.’ It’s just like when they banned wine and brandy in Moldavia*. Now there’s no brandy in Moldavia. They had to find a workaround and make some kind of divin or something.”
The European Union did not prohibit the Baltic States from catching sprat, the fish used to make canned sprats. In 2025, the combined catch of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania amounted to 44,600 metric tons of sprat.
Initially, the catch even increased after the Baltic States joined the European Union. In 2003, the three countries caught 74,100 metric tons of sprats; in 2004, 95,900 metric tons; and in 2005, 128,600 metric tons. The figure peaked in 2007 at 131,200 metric tons. Later, catch volumes began to decline as European Union fishing quotas were reduced. The Baltic States caught about 40% fewer sprat in 2025 than in 2003. However, the catch quota increased by nearly 50% in 2026.
These restrictions were not introduced to help Spanish and Portuguese fishermen sell more sardines. The European Union limits catches to prevent the depletion of fish stocks. Meanwhile, sardine catches in Spain and Portugal also declined. From 2003 to 2007, catches increased from 122,400 to 152,000 metric tons. However, they fell to 27,200 metric tons in 2019. In 2021, the two countries caught 55,400 metric tons.
The European Union did not prohibit Moldova from producing wine or brandy. In 2025, the country produced 137 million liters of wine and over 3 million liters of brandy.
The name “Divin,” which Yalfimau mentioned, was not created because of EU restrictions either. Moldovan brandy was first called “divin” in 1993, 21 years before Moldova signed its European Union association agreement.
* The country’s official name is the Republic of Moldova, commonly shortened to Moldova. The form “Moldavia” was used in Russian, including during the Soviet period, but does not correspond to the country’s current official name. This article uses “Moldova” and retains “Moldavia” only in direct quotations.
