In order to better inform its key trading partners on the rules governing the exportation of plant and plant products to the European Union (EU), the EU is hosting a workshop on the EU's plant health control regime for ASEAN plant health regulators. The workshop will take place from 18-20 October 2011 at the Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok. The EU's plant health regime aims to prevent the introduction and the spread of harmful organisms in the EU, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary disruption of trade. Better understanding of the EU system could also help ASEAN regulators as they prepare for the increasing economic integration with their ASEAN neighbours, in which agricultural commodities are traded with less restrictions.
'It is in our interest to ensure that food consumed by European citizens is safe from farm to fork,' said Mr Harry Arijs, of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Consumer Protection. 'At the same time, we would like to be reassured about our plant health. The spread of harmful pests in the EU could damage crops and ecosystems, leading to big economic losses. It is essential that our trade partners are aware of the EU plant health requirements and have effective export control and certification systems in place.'
Recognising the importance of disseminating clear and correct information to Thai business community, the Delegation of the European Union, in cooperation with the Thai Department of Agriculture, will hold a second seminar on 21 October. The audience for this second seminar will be wider, and also include Thai producers, packers, exporters, policy makers, academia and other stakeholders in Thailand.
'Thailand has recently been facing a bumpy road in exporting fruits and vegetables to the EU due to a high number of non-compliance interceptions on the presence of quarantined pests. It is a good sign that the Thai authorities are improving their control systems. This is not only to pave the way for smooth exports of fruits and vegetables to the EU, but also for the safety of its domestic plants and consumers. This seminar is a perfect opportunity for stakeholders in the supply chain to learn directly from key EU experts including the officials from the line Commission's authorities,' Mr. Arijs added.
Thailandis one of the world's major exporters of plants and plant products and its trade partnership with the European Union is significant. In 2010, exports of these products to the EU totalled over 30 billion Baht (over 713 million Euros), representing 1% of total EU imports from the world.
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The EU funds the events through its Thailand-EU Cooperation Facility. This programme assists Thailand in furthering sustainable economic and social development and its integration into the world economy. It has two components: the first is in the form of grants allocated to universities, NGOs or business organisations for projects, while the second component, known as the Policy Dialogue Support Component is in the form of technical assistance, seminars, studies and campaigns to stimulate policy dialogues between Thailand and the EU.
Background
Since March this year, Thailand has suspended the issuance of phytosanitary certificates and put in place a special control scheme on establishments of 5 groups of commodities, including basil, bitter gourd, sweet pepper, egg plant and Mexican coriander.
The EU Plant Health Regime was established by Directive 2000/29/EC, which contains all measures and actions to be taken to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the European Union of harmful pests. The legislation not only regulates the movement within EU Member States of certain plants and plant products which are potential carriers of harmful organisms for the entire Community, but also contains provisions concerning the compulsory plant health checks on certain products imported from third countries.
