Niveau juridique : Union européenne
Question écrite à la Commission, E-003302-19 de José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE) – contrôles sanitaires
Texte de la question :
« In order to ensure food safety, European citrus fruit production is subject to strict health checks. For example, European producers are banned from using new breeding techniques or genetically modified organisms.
The result is a qualitative and quantitative imbalance, in addition to the consequential economic imbalance, between European producers and those from third countries, who are exempt from such controls.
1. Does the Commission think that it is necessary to apply the same health checks required of EU producers in third countries?
2. If so, when and how will such checks be applied? »
Réponse donnée par Ms Kyriakides au nom de la Commission le 15 janvier 2020
« 1. There is no ban on European producers. The EU has established a legal framework to ensure that the development of modern biotechnology, and more specifically of Genetically Modified Organisms, takes place in safe conditions. At the same time, the EU respects the rights of non-EU countries to define the food safety standards applicable on their territory and to decide their own level of protection and, therefore, to authorise the products they will use into their territory. However, the EU will not authorise imports of foodstuffs that are not in compliance with the food safety import requirements established in the EU legislation. In other words, while products imported into the EU shall comply with the EU sanitary and phytosanitary import requirements, the Commission cannot impose on non-EU countries territory the same food safety legislation applied in the EU.
2. The Commission verifies that products imported from third countries meet the EU food safety import requirements by conducting audits in the exporting third countries. In addition, Member States conduct import checks upon arrival to the EU border control post. These audits and import checks are conducted in accordance with EU legislation. The annual audit programme is decided by Member States following a Commission proposal and is published on the website of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (1).
(1) ec.europa.eu/food/audits_analysis/audit_programmes_en »
Lien vers la page de la question ici