EU signals it will tighten agriculture, food imports

The European Union (EU) will likely come up with stricter controls on agriculture and food imports with its commissioner for agriculture and food Christophe Hansen hinting at “significant changes’ in the EU stance on trade.

This should worry Indian exporters as EU rapid alerts on food imports from here have increased over five times in the past two decades. “The annual rapid alert issued by the European Commission (EC) on Indian agriculture and food exports have increased from 61 to 324 during last two decades,” said S Chandrasekaran, New Delhi-based trade analyst.  

Hansen has been raising the issue of standards of food production in non-EU countries. He has been, in particular, raising concerns over the presence of pesticide residues banned in the EU above the stipulated norms. 

Rapid alerts up 5 times

For India, Chandrasekaran said, the concern is that the authorities’ response to the rapid food alerts has been tardy. “EC data reveal that the rate of India’s reply on rapid alert notification is 23 per cent, whereas Brazil’s is 100 per cent. Even African countries have responded better,” he said. 

The tardy response indicates the “incompletion of the root cause analysis of the rapid alert”, he said.  

Speaking at a meeting of the Irish Farmers Association, where farmers sought reciprocity in food trade and easing of stringent environment rules, last week, Hansen said, it was something neither farmers nor consumers understood. “We have to be bolder,” he said. 

Earlier in Vienna, he said the EU should “be stricter” on food import controls. This is at variance from the EC’s earlier stand. 

‘Zero tolerance’

Chandrasekaran said since India’s post-shipment system looks weak, it needs to strengthen its pre-shipment systems and procedures. 

As Europe strengthens its regime, the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), export inspection agencies (EIAs) and other export organisations should review the current implementation of advisories and notifications by customs and exporters.  “It is essential to monitor the sensitive product to defend our existing exports,” he said.

The EU has made several proposals to maintain the maximum residue levels for some imported agricultural and food products, in view of certain conditions existing in non-EU countries.  

But the European Parliament has rejected the proposals calling for a policy that allows “zero tolerance”. Hansen expressed concern over the impact of tighter controls but seemed to be swayed by European Parliament’s views. 

Luxembourg to lead the way?

Hansen’s statements come when his country Luxembourg is preparing to tighten agriculture and food import norms. The small European nation is seeking for total compliance of MRLs of pesticide in food. 

Chandrasekaran said these point to the need for the Indian government to take up the issue of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in bilateral discussions. “We have taken less number of NTBs so far,” he said.