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Unistock Europe - Association of Professional Portside Storekeepers in the Food and Feed Chain

UNISTOCK

The Association's purpose is the common examination and study of questions pertaining to the professional handling and storage activities related to the food and feed chain within the European Union.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Commissioner) and

1 Jul 2025 · Strategic Dialogue on the EU Port Strategy

Response to Contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security

12 Jan 2021

The below feedback is a joint response from COCERAL, the European association representing the trade in cereals, oilseeds, rice, feedstuffs, olive oil, oils and fats and agrosupply and UNISTOCK, the European association of professional portside storekeepers for agribulk commodities. COCERAL-UNISTOCK welcomes the Commission’s initiative in developing a Contingency Plan to ensure food supply and food security across the EU in times of crises. Although the food supply was fully ensured in all EU Member States during the COVID-19 pandemic, several issues arose at the outset of the crisis, such as border controls within the Single Market and in ports, as well as limited transport options by trucks and railways within and between different Member States. While these aspects were solved through the EU Green Lanes and the recognition of food and feed as essential goods, it had potential to impair the EU’s agri-food trade. As such, COCERAL-UNISTOCK appreciates the Commission’s objective, within the EU Farm to Fork strategy, to develop guidelines and recommendations in order to have a coordinated approach responding to crisis and avoiding any shortage in the food supply to EU consumers. Coordination is key to ensure food security, which includes animal feed. Countries taking different measures at different times, not always communicating clearly and timely about them, closing their borders, and applying different treatment on the movement of goods creates confusion, delays and above all uncertainty. As such, we consider that the guidelines should include the following considerations: • The food and feed industry must fall under the category of ‘critical or essential’ and hence be subject to exemptions as is the case for other critical industries. This sector must be considered as a priority and given authorisation to circulate. • Transport of critical goods to and from the plants should stay operational. This imposes rules, protocols and safety equipment for the workers operating these transports. • Special port handling measures must be outlined regarding "on-board" crew quarantine to allow unloading of feed and food grain and oilseed/meal shipments. These protocols need to be implemented at harbour level, whether in EU or third countries, in direct discussions with port authorities and exporters/importers organisations. • People working in food and feed industry operations and supply chains face similar childcare challenges and should hence fall under the same treatment as other critical industries notably in countries where schools/childcare have been closed. • The EU must also ensure that the new Contingency Plan will be correctly implemented by all EU Member States and no divergence in the measures occurs. The creation of a permanent forum where the Commission and Member States can exchange on practices is a good step in this direction. In conclusion, while EU feed and food supply responded well to the challenges brought forward by COVID-19, better coordination through this new Contingency Plan will help lift any uncertainty for the operators if a new crisis arises.
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Meeting with Vytenis Andriukaitis (Commissioner) and Comité du commerce des céréales, aliments du bétail, oléagineux, huile d'olive, huiles et graisses et agrofournitures de l'U.E.

30 May 2017 · Discussion on science communication: how to present science-related topics to the general public ?