Dairy trade sees lower imports due to EU plans

The import of dairy products into the EU will likely become more difficult and smaller if the measures proposed in the tenth European Omnibus food and feed safety legislation are enacted. This is expected by the dairy trade organization Eucolait. Imported products will then have to meet the same requirements as domestic products. In the 10th Omnibus package, various measures have been proposed which aim to simplify and standardize food and feed policies. One of those measures is that the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for hazardous substances in imported products must be the same as those for European products. This provides both more clarity and fairer competition, as well as better safety policies. Currently, European MRLs often do not apply to imported products, whether they are grains, fruits, meat, or dairy. Illegal As a result, cheeses, milk powders, and milk fats can still be exported to the EU without these products having to meet the same safety requirements. This is partly because no agreements have been made on this in international treaties, and the EU would then be acting 'illegally' (as it would not be WTO-compliant) if it applied the strict EU standards to imported products. However, the European Commission wants to change this. EFSA needs to assist In the Omnibus package, the Commission also wants to simplify and expedite the approval of plant protection products and pesticides. Procedures need to be shortened, including scientific assessments, and permits for use in member states should be mutually recognized as much as possible. If a file for a particular product requires more assessment capacity than is available in a member state, the European authorities EFSA should also assist, according to the proposal. Everything is aimed at making the procedures faster and more efficient. No more automatic expirations The Commission also wants to eliminate the automatic and fixed expiration of approvals. Attention should be focused where it is needed most, namely on the most hazardous substances. These should be assessed (re)quickly and intensively. Especially to provide farmers with a safe and sufficiently broad range of tools, and consumers access to a wide range of safe food. The European Commission believes that the proposed set of measures can save over a billion euros annually and possibly more, while also ensuring better food safety.