Lobbying on Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products

Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products

Food safety

The report will assess the rationale and legal feasibility of applying EU health and environmental standards (including animal welfare standards as well as processes and production methods) to imported agricultural and agri-food products. It may also identify the concrete initiatives to ensure better consistency in their application, in conformity with the WTO rules.

Links

Public consultation

ID: 13371

Lobbying Activity

65 responses

Consultation response

Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs, 14 Mar 2022

BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, welcomes the opportunity to react to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the application of EU health and environmental standards (incl. animal welfare standards and processes and production methods) to imported agricultural and agri-food…

Consultation response

EuroCommerce, 15 Mar 2022

EuroCommmerce is pleased to submit its contribution on the Call for Evidence regarding the application of EU health and environmental standards on imports of agricultural and food products. Please find our position in the attached document.

Consultation response

European agri-cooperatives, 16 Mar 2022

From Copa and Cogeca, representing EU farmers and cooperatives, we welcome the possibility to give feedback in this important process. Please find our feedback attached in PDF.

Consultation response

FoodDrinkEurope, 16 Mar 2022

Please see our contribution in the enclosed file.

Consultation response

CropLife Europe, 16 Mar 2022

CropLife Europe response to call for evidence: Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. Summary: 1. Global environmental concerns are best addressed at the global level. 2. Different regions have different needs. Farmers need to have a…

Consultation response

spiritsEUROPE, 16 Mar 2022

spiritsEUROPE represents the interests of European spirits producers at EU level. We welcome the opportunity to take part in the call for evidence in relation to the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. Please find attached our…

Consultation response

European Coordination Via Campesina, 16 Mar 2022

ECVC, the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) is a grassroots organisation that currently brings together 31 national and regional peasant, agricultural and rural workers' organisations based in 21 different European countries. Food Sovereignty is at the heart of our work, whose main…

Consultation response

Merck Sharp Dohme Europe Belgium SRL, 14 Mar 2022

MSD Animal Health welcomes the European Union's goal to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems and stands ready to participate in this effort. At the same time, MSD Animal Health recognizes the need to set realistic targets that do not harm consumers, farmers and the balance of…

Consultation response

CONSEIL EUROPEEN DES JEUNES AGRICULTEURS, 16 Mar 2022

In the context of its two-year sustainability policy programme, the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) welcomes the possibility to express its views on the implementation of EU health and environmental standards to imports. Young farmers support such an ambition, which they believe justified…

Consultation response

Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, 16 Mar 2022

Verbraucher:innen wollen nachhaltig konsumieren, das gilt auch und vor allem für Agrar- und Lebensmittelerzeugnisse. Auch die Europäische Kommission hat sich in ihrer Farm-to-Fork-Strategie zur mehr Nachhaltigkeit in der Landwirtschaft und Lebensmittelproduktion bekannt. Damit ist die…

Consultation response

European Landowners' Organization asbl, 14 Mar 2022

The potential direct repercussions of Green Deal criteria for agricultural output and trade in the EU are among the first things to consider when assessing trade impacts. Several studies have attempted to quantify the effects of implementing several of the quantitative targets included in the F2F…

Consultation response

European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, 14 Mar 2022

EFFAT expects the European Commission to include in the scope of the report “Application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products” key social considerations. Please find our input attached.

Consultation response

Independent Retail Europe (formerly UGAL - Union of Groups of Independent Retailers of Europe), 16 Mar 2022

In the light of the ongoing discussion on higher animal welfare /environmental / production method standards within the EU, retailers would like to raise the following points for reflection. Reflections regarding a possible market split between EU and non-EU products in case increasing EU…

Consultation response

Corporate Europe Observatory, 16 Mar 2022

Over 2016-2018, pesticide corporations and trade partners have put immense pressure on the EU to allow residues of certain hazardous pesticides - banned in Europe - to be present in food and feed imports. Facing an endless number of visits, letters and reports, complaints and threats at the WTO by…

Consultation response

Humane World for Animals Europe, 8 Mar 2022

Humane Society International/Europe (HSI) welcomes this opportunity to respond to this initiative on the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. Please find our feedback attached in PDF format.

Consultation response

Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins, 16 Mar 2022

Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) welcomes the commitment to apply sustainability criteria to imports into the EU in the future, insofar as such criteria are compatible with EU commitments at international level, thus fully WTO-compliant. It is the EU duty to lead its partners there…

Consultation response

Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles, 16 Mar 2022

La crise Covid-19, suivi de la guerre en Ukraine a rappelé le caractère stratégique de la production agro-alimentaire pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire de l’Union européenne, mais également le rôle essentiel du commerce international à la fois dans l’atteinte de la sécurité alimentaire, mais…

Consultation response

Association de l'Aviculture, de l'Industrie et du Commerce de Volailles dans les Pays de l'Union Europeenne asbl, 10 Mar 2022

AVEC favours the implementation of a strong reciprocity policy in the EU trade with third countries, especially in light of the reinforcement of the EU legislation in all aspects of sustainability. It is about the credibility of the EU in its fight against climate change, it is about giving its EU…

Consultation response

Union Européenne du Commerce du Bétail et des Métiers de la Viande, 16 Mar 2022

The European Livestock and Meat Trades Union (UECBV) welcomes the call for evidence on the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. Through the EU Green Deal, the objective of the EU is to address and reverse climate change. We all agree…

Consultation response

AnimalhealthEurope, 8 Mar 2022

With the EU’s recognised high standards in the areas of sustainable food production, animal welfare and food safety, we understand the desire to apply EU health and environmental standards on imports of agricultural and food products. However, this raises several complex legal, political and…

Consultation response

Fédération Européenne des Fabricants d'Aliments Composés, 16 Mar 2022

Please find FEFAC´s full contribution in the attachment.

European Milk Board Demands Mirror Standards for All Agricultural Imports

European Milk Board, 21 Feb 2022

The organization demands that all imported agricultural products meet EU health and environmental standards through mirror measures. They want EU entities to control compliance, warning against setting excessively low thresholds that would undermine Green Deal effectiveness. They call for WTO reform to allow import restrictions based on suspected health or environmental damage.

This would protect EU milk producers from cheaper imports produced under lower standards.

External producers lose market access unless they adopt costlier EU-equivalent production methods.

Consultation response

Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich, 15 Mar 2022

As Austrian Chamber of Agriculture we welcome the report foreseen in June this year. From an agricultural perspective applying the same rules or comparable systems to reach the same results in terms of physical attributes of food is applied since many years. Examples are the organic foodstuff or…

Consultation response

Syngenta Crop Protection AG, 15 Mar 2022

At Syngenta we warmly welcome this opportunity to provide our perspective to help inform the European Commission’s report. Food, health and environment are fundamentally important issues for the EU and global population. We are fully supportive of the Union’s objective to ensure a high level of…

Consultation response

Comité du commerce des céréales, aliments du bétail, oléagineux, huile d'olive, huiles et graisses et agrofournitures de l'U.E., 16 Mar 2022

COCERAL, the European association representing the trade in cereals, oilseeds, rice, feedstuffs, olive oil, oils and fats and agrosupply, welcomes the opportunity to share some elements in response to the Commission’s call for evidence on the application of health and environmental standards to…

Consultation response

European Liaison Committee for Agriculture and agri-food trade, 14 Mar 2022

CELCAA, the European association representing the trade in agri-food products and commodities, is pleased to provide its input to the call for evidence on the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. The objective of the EU, through the…

Consultation response

COMITE EUROPEEN des FABRICANTS de SUCRE, 16 Mar 2022

CEFS welcomes the European Commission’s call for evidence on the imports of agricultural and food products – applying health and environmental standards, which is at the core of the ongoing public discussion on how to apply mirror clauses in the EU’s trade policy. EU beet sugar producers already…

Consultation response

VIER PFOTEN International, 15 Mar 2022

FOUR PAWS welcomes the possibility to provide evidences on the application of EU health and environmental standards to the imports of agricultural and food productions. In particular, we are convinced that it would be both desirable and feasible to introduce animal welfare regulations for imports. …

Euro Foie Gras demands equal standards for food imports

Euro Foie Gras, 14 Mar 2022

The federation insists that imports from third countries must comply with European health and welfare standards. They also suggest adding marketing standards for processed products to prevent fraud and protect consumers.

Strict import rules would protect the competitiveness of European foie gras producers.

Non-EU producers face higher costs to meet strict European health and welfare standards.

Consultation response

International Confederation of European Beet Growers, 16 Mar 2022

CIBE would like to focus its contribution on the need and rationale in applying EU health and environmental standards (HESs). CIBE would like to stress that the report specifically states production methods among the standards to be applied, the aim is to impose similar measures for imported…

Consultation response

Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, 15 Mar 2022

The development of mirror clauses or reciprocity measures regarding the European production standards for imports is a historical demand of the European agri-food sector. This aspiration has been even more strongly demanded since the adoption, two years ago, of the European Green Deal, and of the…

Consultation response

Compassion in World Farming Brussels, 10 Mar 2022

Compassion in World Farming EU (CIWF EU) welcomes the Commission’s initiative on the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. We are pleased to see that the Commission is aiming at addressing the systemic problems in food production as…

Coordination Rurale urges ban on sub-standard food imports

Coordination Rurale Union Nationale, 7 Mar 2022

Ban imports produced with substances currently forbidden within the European Union. Exporting countries must provide proof that they meet EU production requirements. Harmonize pesticide approvals to ensure fair rules for all European farmers.

This would eliminate competitive disadvantages caused by cheaper, non-compliant foreign imports.

Trade partners like the USA and Canada would lose market access.

Consultation response

Freshfel Europe - the forum for the European fresh fruits and vegetables chain, 16 Mar 2022

PLEASE FIND ENCLOSED OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSULTATION

Consultation response

Association nationale interprofessionnelle du bétail et des viandes, 10 Mar 2022

Interbev salue cette initiative de la Commission Européenne. L'adoption de la réciprocité des normes de production permettrait d'assurer une politique plus cohérente et juste envers les agriculteurs européens. En effet, ils doivent à la fois respecter des normes de production exigeantes, et faire…

Consultation response

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 21 Feb 2022

Imported agricultural goods must be held to the same standards as products produced within the European Union. Currently, imported products must comply with appropriate health standards however they do not have to meet European environmental and animal welfare standards. It is inexplicable to have…

Consultation response

Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, 16 Mar 2022

The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) - representing around 300,000 veterinarians across 38 European countries - aims to enhance animal health, animal welfare, public health and to protect the environment by promoting the veterinary profession. FVE welcomes this proposal and favours the…

Consultation response

European Dairy Trade Association, 28 Feb 2022

Eucolait, the European Dairy Trade welcomes the opportunity to provide its feedback to the call for evidence on the application of EU health and environmental standards to imported agricultural and agri-food products. Eucolait supports the European ambition towards a more sustainable food systems…

Consultation response

Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, 16 Mar 2022

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) is an organisation that represents the European fish farming profession and is based in Brussels. FEAP is composed of 24 national fish farming associations from 23 countries, both EU and non-EU. The combined yearly production of FEAP members…

Consultation response

British Agriculture Bureau, 15 Mar 2022

The British Agriculture Bureau (BAB) represents the collective interests of the UK farming unions in Brussels, representing more than 70,000 farmer and grower members. BAB welcomes the opportunity to respond to the European Commission’s report on imports of agricultural and food products – applying…

Consultation response

Federation of Small Businesses, 15 Mar 2022

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) supports the Commission’s objective of exploring ways to increase the sustainability of food systems and to lead global efforts in this area. Well-designed rules have the potential to promote greater sustainability in global food systems, but the design and…

Consultation response

Federación Española del Vino, 16 Mar 2022

FEV supports the EU objective to promote greater sustainability at global level to influence the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we welcome Commission willingness to have a transparent and informed debate on the application to imports of certain production standards,…

Consultation response

GroentenFruit Huis, 15 Mar 2022

Fresh Produce Centre represents the interests of businesses involved in the sale and marketing of fruit and vegetables and is a source of knowledge and inspiration. Its members account for over 80% of total sales of fruit and vegetables in the Netherlands, which are worth around €15 billion …

Consultation response

La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera del País Valencià, 1 Mar 2022

Se adjunta documento con comentarios

Consultation response

FRUCOM - European Federation of the Trade in Dried Fruit, Edible Nuts, Processed Fruit & Vegetables, Processed Fishery Products, Spices and Honey, 16 Mar 2022

FRUCOM represents European importers and growers, processors, and traders in origin countries of edible nuts, dried and processed fruit and vegetables and processed fish and seafood. FRUCOM recognises that the European Union is already undertaking an unprecedented and highly consequential drive…