WORKSHOP IMPORTS OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES INTO THE EU

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1 WORKSHOP IMPORTS OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES INTO THE EU Procedures for control and management of irregularities " Monday, 17 June 2013 Unioncamere Sala Convegni De Longhi Horti Sallustiani, Piazza Sallustio, 21 - Roma Imports of organic products from Third countries into European Union has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2012, the new system of import from Third Countries entered into force, based on Control Bodies recognized as equivalent: this expanded the possibility to import in equivalence from 132 countries (beyond the 11 previously recognized ). Member States are very concerned, in order to protect consumers, producers and internal markets, about compliance of imported organic products, which may carry the same EU logo as the European organic products. There is more and more the need of new computerized tools to improve the checking of organic batches at custom level, as well as to guarantee traceability of imported organic products and to provide the Competent Authorities of the Member States with complete data on the real flow of imported products, taking into account the phasing-out of the system based on the authorizations released by the same Member States. Furthermore, it would be important to set up an alternative system allowing Competent Authorities and the Commission to monitor and intervene in cases of crises and/or fraud by stopping the issuance of certificates of inspection and verification of the consignment. More in general, a greater harmonization is needed between the different control systems at customs points of entry as well as an effective coordination in cases of alert. Given the strictly technical contents of such important arguments, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute -IAMB, in cooperation with MiPAAF the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, and in the context of the project BioFrontiere-Organic Borders, is to organize a specific workshop in order to effectively address all such important issues. The workshop is structured with morning presentations introducing to the control systems of several European Countries, and an afternoon round table for discussion. Organizing Secretariat: Luigi Guarrera: tel Cell.: l.guarrera@iamb.it Elvira D Onghia: tel Cell.: e.donghia@mpaaf.gov.it Please confirm your participation Free entrance (Working languages: Italian and English) 1

2 PROGRAMME MORNING SESSION Welcome: Cosimo Lacirignola, Director General, CIHEAM-IAMB Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari Introduction: Stefano Vaccari, General Director, Directorate for the promotion of food quality - MIPAAF Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies Emilio Gatto, Director General, ICQRF Central inspectorate for the protection of quality and fight against fraud Moderator: Teresa De Matthaeis, Director, QPA V, Organic Farming Office MIPAAF Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, Italy The procedures for control of incoming goods - Paul Severens, Administrator, National Service for the Implementation of Regulation, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Roermond, Holland (The intervention will focus on the procedures used in Holland for the checking of the incoming batches. P. Severens will inform about the flow of communications / data that occurs among the different players (Competent Authority, Customs, Control Bodies, importers, Control Bodies of the Third country, etc.). He will also illustrate the procedures of risk assessment, control of batches before and / or after customs clearance) The floor to participants: questions and debate The point of view of Customs Renate Gerlofsma, Policy advisor, Legal and International affairs - National Office Customs administration of the Netherlands (Holland is one of the main entry points of organic products into the EU: Dutch customs are thus in first line for controls. The intervention will answer to a series of important questions: how to ensure in an effective way the recognition of organic products from conventional ones? What kind of controls are made directly by Customs? What is the level of integration of customs with the control system of organic products? How are certificates of inspection managed? Are there any concrete cases of coordination of the different customs entry points in Europe, in relation to controls and data management of the imports flows? How do Customs act in the event of an alert? Would it be possible to have a database of certificates of inspection at EU level? General improvement and innovations) 2

3 The floor to participants: questions and debate The management of irregularities relating to imported products - how to ensure coordination in the event of alert - Competent Authority - Sybille Stahr-Sedaghat, Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung, Bonn (Deutschland) (Just as Holland, Germany is also on the forefront concerning organic imports from Third Countries. The intervention will describe the procedures followed in the event irregularities are found on imported products, and will answer the following questions: how to ensure an effective system of goods block and the adoption of all corrective measures in the Third Country? How are irregularities of products, certified by equivalent Control Bodies (CBs), managed? What are the main critical issues found so far? What will be the involvement of the different players(commission, Member State, European and non-european CBs, Customs of different Member States, etc.)? How to avoid duplication and inefficiencies? Is it possible to have a centralized decision-making cabin in order to avoid different behaviors by the Member States in the event of irregularities? What is or should be the level of cooperation with the Customs in cases of alert?) The floor to participants: questions and debate The experience of an equivalent Control Body Tom Nizet, Certification Manager, Certisys, Belgian Control Body ( The objective of the intervention is the sharing of experiences about the new system of import of organic products in two contexts: Control Bodies (CBs) in the third country (exporting to the EU) and CBs of first consignee/importer (importing into the EU). The speaker will introduce issues of concern in both contexts (exporting to the EU and importing into the EU): detection and action in cases of (1) fraud, (2) negligence/ignorance and (3) underestimations of the requirements resulting into non equivalent organic products for the EU consumers. He will then focus on control tools and techniques: sampling, traceability and documentary evidence, cross check. A third part of the presentation will be dedicated to complications and criticalities. First of all, complications related to export to the EU: group certification and possibilities to intervene as an external CB, local legislation, filières, labeling requirements, declaration/description of the activities, creation of a standard, relationship with the assessment body, restricted possibilities for development of CB activities (product groups and country restrictions after 1/7/2013), small holders, absence of a operators representation/discussion platform in the third countries. Complications related to import into the EU will follow: complexity of the systems (Ann III and IV in Reg 1235/08)(training of inspectors, staying up to date, informing the operators), impact of trade agreements and labeling, delegation and subcontracting of some activities, role of custom services, volumes and certification decisions. Cases where these aspects are highlighted will be presented, along with conclusions and recommendations for all the aspects) 3

4 The floor to participants: questions and debate Conclusions of the session ORGANIC LUNCH AFTERNOON SESSION Moderator: Luigi Guarrera, CIHEAM-IAMB Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari The point of view of importers An Italian importer Claudio Brigadoi CTM AltroMercato, responsible FairTrade purchase from Asia (To complete the overall picture of the new import system it seems useful to know the opinion of an importer about reliability of the system, especially in the light of the new regulatory changes. The involvement of the importers as an active part of the control and verification system of imported products is essential. He/she will describe the tasks to be carried out to perform import in the EU from Third countries. For example, the kind of communication undertaken with authorities, customs, CBs, what type of documents must be submitted and to whom, what aspects of the process can be simplified and what are the main difficulties encountered) Round Table Moderator: Giacomo Mocciaro, Organic Farming Office - MiPAAF Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forestry Policies, Italy A special panel will discuss in real time on the various aspects presented in the morning. Participants to the round table: Bettina Brandtner - European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate H., Sustainability and quality of agriculture and rural development H.3. Organic Farming, Brussels Marjorie Deroi - Bureau de la gestion des signes de qualité et de l'agriculture biologique, Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt, Paris, France Renate Gerlofsma - Policy advisor, Legal and International affairs - National Office Customs administration of the Netherlands Loek Hesemans - Coordinating policy officer - Ministry of Economic Affairs, Animal Supply Chain and Animal Welfare Department, The Hague, The Netherlands Massimiliano Laghi - Apofruit Italia Soc. Coop. Agricola Mohamed Mraihi International Accreditation and Quality Control Office IMC Mediterranean Certification Institute Proposals and conclusion of the workshop 4

5 BioFrontiere is a project financed by Mipaaf the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, in the frame of the Italian Action Plan for organic farming. The project is coordinated by INEA, the National Institute of Agrarian Economy, and implemented in cooperation with CIHEAM-IAMB, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari. More information at: 5