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Managing Risks in Imports of Non-animal Origin: EU Emergency Measures

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Risk Regulation in Non-Animal Food Imports

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science ((BRIEFSCHEFO))

Abstract

This chapter describes the current set of emergency measures, also known as ‘safeguard measures’, on which the European Union (EU) relies upon for addressing high risks in imports of feed and food of non-animal origin. Overall, EU emergency measures involve the applicability of specific import conditions and control activities of certain products of non-animal origin from certain non-EU countries that are destined to the internal market. Following a brief introduction of emergency measures and the legal framework in the EU, this chapter provides a detailed overview of the measures currently in force in the area of imports of non-animal origin. The discussion concerns long-standing measures, such as those addressing aflatoxin contamination in imports of dried fruits, and more recent ones, such as the temporary ban that the EU has introduced on betel leaves from Bangladesh. Other relevant measures are also discussed in this chapter with relation to the area of imports of non-animal origin, including measures following the Fukushima nuclear accident or imports of GMO rice products from China.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    When declared to customs in the EU, goods must generally be classified according to the combined nomenclature or CN. Imported and exported goods have to be declared stating under which subheading of the nomenclature they fall. This determines which rate of customs duty applies and how the goods are treated for statistical purposes. Useful information may be available at the following web address: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_duties/tariff_aspects/combined_nomenclature/index_en.htm.

  2. 2.

    In detail, emergency measures and subsequent amendments can be chronologically summarised as follows:

    • With reference to the import of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from Egypt, Commission Decision 2000/49/EC has been lastly amended by the Decision 2004/429/EC, corrected by in the Official Journal L189, p. 13

    • With concern to the import of peanuts and certain products derived from peanuts originating in or consigned from China, Commission Decision 2002/79/EC has been amended by the Decision 2004/429/EC

    • With relation to the import of figs, hazelnuts and pistachios and certain products derived thereof originating in or consigned from Turkey, Commission Decision 2002/80/EC has been amended by the Decision 2004/429/EC

    • With relation to the import of Brazil nuts in shell originating in or consigned from Brazil, Commission Decision 2003/493/EC has been amended by the Decision 2004/428/EC

    • With concern to import of pistachios and certain products derived from pistachios originating in or consigned from Iran, Commission Decision 2005/85/EC applied.

  3. 3.

    The current version of ‘Guidance document for Competent Authorities for the control of compliance with EU legislation on aflatoxins’ (last edition, November 2010) can be found at the website: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/contaminants/guidance-2010.pdf.

  4. 4.

    The FVO performed an audit in Egypt from 21 to 25 August 2011. Overall, the final DG (SANCO) 2011-6265 document has concluded that the presence of polluted waters, human populations and cattle in the proximity of the areas where the concerned products came from all posed a potential risk of contamination. The actual source of the contamination, however, could not be identified.

    In the follow-up of the outbreak, the Commission has also launched a media campaign in all EU Member States, reaching out an estimated number of 37 million people across the EU. 227 million euros were also earmarked as a market intervention to support those sectors within the EU that were most hit financially by the outbreak.

  5. 5.

    With concern to seeds intended for the production of sprouts, the certification can be replaced by a microbiological test performed before export to the EU. This derogation is applicable only until 1 July 2015.

Abbreviations

ARfD:

Acute Reference Dose

BIP:

Border Inspection Post

Cs-134:

Caesium-134

Cs-137:

Caesium-137

CN:

Combined Nomenclature

CED:

Common Entry Document

CP:

Control Point

CVED:

Common Veterinary Entry Document

DPE:

Designated Point of Entry

DPI:

Designated Point of Import

EFSA:

European Food Safety Authority

EU:

European Union

FVO:

Food and Veterinary Office

DG SANCO:

Directorate-General for Health and Consumers

GFL:

General Food Law

GMO:

Genetically modified organism

MRL:

Maximum Residue Level

PCP:

Pentachlorophenol

RASFF:

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed

SCoFCAH:

Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health

UK:

United Kingdom

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  1. Budapest, Hungary

    Veronika Jezsó

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  1. Veronika Jezsó
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Jezsó, V. (2015). Managing Risks in Imports of Non-animal Origin: EU Emergency Measures. In: Risk Regulation in Non-Animal Food Imports. SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14014-8_3

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