Health and Consumers Directorate-General

(DG SANCO)

Howard Batho, Head of import and OIE sector

Unit D1, Animal Health and Standing Committees

Objective of EU health legislation

To ensure a high level of safety in relation to public, animal and plant health in the EU

To ensure that trade and imports in animals and their products can take place in safe conditions

Conditions relating to imports are equivalent to those for domestic producers

Food must conform to our standards, irrespective of its origins

Yes, we do have high food safety standards

Need them to prevent introduction of animal and plant diseasesSerious consumer concern about food safety issuesEnable trade within the EU and with Third CountriesResult – high standards but equivalent for internal trade and imports

The legislative framework

Public healthRegulations (EC) No 852/2004, 853/2004 and854/2004(Hygiene package)

Animal Health Directive 2002/99/EC

Import requirements (list of third countries/certificates/etc)

Veterinary checks: Directives 97/78/EC and 91/496/EEC and official controls: Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 (Feed and Food)

Legal basis

Implementing Legislation

Enforcement legislation

The international context of EU legislation

It follows WTO rules and its SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Agreement which follows OIE & CODEX standardsIt is scientifically based: the European Food Safety Authority (in Parma, Italy) gives scientific advice to the Commission and to Member States

The SPS Agreement of the WTO

SPS measures on international trade (including animal health measures) must be:

applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or healthbased on:

scientific principlesan assessment of the health riskson international standards (OIE, CODEX)

proportional to the “appropriate level of protection” chosen by the country

The EU is the largest importer of

agricultural products in the world!

The basic objective of the EU health import policy

Protection of the EU human & animal populations from transmissible diseases and other pathological conditions which may have major negative effects on their health and welfare and on public health

Veterinary services - listing in principleLegal and financial powers

Animal health situation - certificationDisease notification and control measuresActive and passive surveillance

Public health Residue monitoringApproval of establishmentsHygienic measures – HACCP, ante and post mortem inspection

Favorable audit by FVO

Elements to be taken into account

If assessment is favourable, inclusion in the third country list with agreement of the EU Member States in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH)

Risk mitigating factorsZoning and compartmentalisationHeat treatment Other physical treatmentsDe-boning and maturationChannelled import - end useVector – free periodTime delay Quarantine and testing

Support for third countries (article 50 of OFFC – Official Food and Feed Control Regulation)

Capacity buildingAssistance by Community experts on the spotParticipation in training coursesPhased introductionTwinning projectsAssistance for providing information

Third Country programmes 2008RASFF/TRACES

Assessment of HPAI situation

Avian Influenza

EU food import standards

Food Testing ASEAN Countries

Training 2009-2010

Approaching5000 Participants/Year150 Training Activities/Year1000 Training Days/Year

Estimated Budget 11,5 M€ (2009) 13M€ (2010)BTSF Africa 10M€ (2009-2010)

ConclusionEU legislation is not an obstacle to trade, it is essential to tradeFollows WTO/SPS international guidesRequires efforts on the side of the third countryPossibility to enter new markets, in particular in the higher value end of the marketA better food safety situation in the third country

Important linksFVO inspection reports (http://ec.europa.eu/food/fvo/index_en.htm)Rapid alert system for food and feed (http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/rapidalert/index_en.htm)Third Country establishments lists (http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/establishments/third_country/index_en.htm)

Important linksGeneral guidance on EU import and

transit rules for live animals and animal products from third countries of July 2007

(http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/guide_thirdcountries2006_en.pdf)

Guidance document on key questions related to import requirements and the new rules on food hygiene and official food controls of January 2006 (http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/interpretation_imports.pdf)

Find out more

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm

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