In response to the new EU trade policy review, Freshfel Europe publishes a policy reflection paper, "SPS Export Protocols: Towards Greater Reciprocity in Fresh Produce Trade". The document summarizes the market access barriers faced by the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector, which is faced with the need to negotiate individual 'SPS export protocols' to start business with many trading partners, while no specific protocols are required. similar for most imports. of fresh products in the Union. This situation is causing a terrible lack of reciprocity in the conditions of access to sanitary and phytosanitary markets that must be urgently addressed. In its document, Freshfel Europe urges the European Commission to define with the Member States a specific EU SPS strategy to ensure market diversification by facilitating market access conditions based on safe trade guaranteed by the EU regulatory environment. .

Currently, sanitary and phytosanitary protocols for accessing the third country market are the main challenge for EU fresh fruit and vegetable exporters. Freshfel Europe, witnessing a significant lack of reciprocity in the implementation of phytosanitary systems, regrets that this important challenge is not included in the new EU trade policy strategy "An open, sustainable and assertive trade policy", published on 18 February. Freshfel Europe General Delegate, Philippe Binard, noted that, “The absence of any reference to the complex challenges of negotiating SPS protocols to export fresh produce to third country markets and the lack of reciprocity resulting in the SPS barriers mentioned in the Review of EU Trade Policies is worrying. He indirectly suggests business as usual, leaving exporters to negotiate their market access with third countries Member State by Member State and product by product. Our experience shows that the negotiation process is long, expensive, non-transparent and often discriminatory, exposing our exporters to different conditions for the same pest. This is in contrast to EU rules for imports which are transparent and immediately applicable to all interested suppliers to mitigate identified pests that are not known to occur in the EU. "

Freshfel Europe's reflection paper explores this lack of reciprocity in plant health and calls for a comprehensive EU SPS strategy to coordinate market access and help European fresh fruit and vegetable exporters overcome sanitary and phytosanitary difficulties. Natalia Santos, Director of Trade and Market Access at Freshfel Europe clarified: “In the short term, the EU should guarantee proportional and scientifically justified sanitary and phytosanitary conditions and obtain additional sanitary and phytosanitary simplifications through free trade agreements. The correct implementation of the partners' commitments and the maximization of synergies between EU capitals should also help alleviate the situation and facilitate trade. In the long term, we urge the EU to raise the problems created by the MSF export protocols at the WTO level, as an important trade bloc that has managed to ensure a transparent, proportional and trade-friendly phytosanitary system. " The current discrepancies between open and closed sanitary and phytosanitary systems are not sustainable and do not lead to fair and reciprocal trade in fresh fruits and vegetables. This should be at the top of the EU trade agenda for the competitiveness and livelihoods of EU producers and for the development of mutually beneficial business relationships with partners around the world operating in a trading environment that be as least distorting as possible.