Niveau juridique : Union européenne
Texte de la question :
«In recent years, the number of pest and disease interceptions being made of plants and plant products coming from third countries has snowballed. In 2021, that number hit a record high, causing an unprecedented plant health emergency for the Spanish farming industry. Given the ineffectiveness of all the steps taken and checks carried out so far:
1. The Spanish industry and the European industry as a whole are calling for measures to be introduced to curb imports from countries such as South Africa and Morocco where pests are not effectively kept in check. Is the Commission in favour of introducing automatic temporary suspensions of agricultural imports from countries where diseases have been going uncontrolled because of a failure by their national authorities to take the requisite action?
2. The new obligation to cold treat oranges will do nothing to help producers of other affected goods, such as tomatoes, olives, wine grapes, aubergines and mandarins. Does the Commission intend to bring in cold treatment for other products?
3. If citrus black spot or false codling moths were to reach the EU, what tools could the EU use to tackle the ensuing plant health crises? »
Réponse donnée par Ms Kyriakedeson au nom de la Commission le 30 mars 2022
« 1. The Commission is not supportive of an automatic suspension of trade in response to non-compliances with the phytosanitary rules of the EU at import. Restrictions on trade have to be justified and proportionate to the risk. For this, non-compliances need to be investigated first to identify the reason behind them and ensure that appropriate corrective action is taken. The actions need to be risk-based and effective, while ensuring that the measures are not more trade-restrictive than necessary to ensure the appropriate level of protection in line with the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement of the World Trade Organization.
2. The draft Regulation (1) that adds an obligatory cold treatment for the import of oranges is justified by the recurring non-compliances because of the detection of Thaumatotibia leucotreta at the EU borders. Extending this obligation to other commodities would be considered if there would similarly be recurring non-compliances. Amendments of the EU import requirements are risk based, initiated on a case by case basis and supported by the latest available scientific and technical information.
3. These pests are priority pests (2) and Member States have to draw up a contingency plans in case of their entry into the EU, and to survey their territories for their presence. The Commission supports Member States with learning and development under the framework of Better Training for Safer Food courses (3) and with co-funding of surveys and eradication measures, in case these pests are detected (4). The principles for eradication measures are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/20315.
docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/G/SPS/NEU545.pdf&Open=True
(2) OJ L 260, 11.10.2019, p. 8.
(3) ec.europa.eu/chafea/food/index_en.htm
(4) Annex 4 to the Commission Implementing Decision of 6 May 2021 on the financing of the Single Market Programme.
(5) Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, OJ L 137, 23.11.2016, p. 4 »
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