(Business in Cameroon) - On December 14, 2019, the European Union (EU) adopted a new phytosanitary regulation. Since then, its delegation in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has been conducting a campaign to raise exporters' awareness of the requirements for this new regulation.
"Countries exporting fruits and vegetables to the EU must take measures to ensure that all shipments comply [with the new regulation]. The most critical points to note, for the time being, are the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate for all fruits and vegetables (with five exceptions: pineapple, coconut, durian, banana, date). The phytosanitary certificate must include an additional declaration which presents the full wording of the relevant specific requirement,” the EU delegation indicates.
It adds that, for high-risk goods, a full risk assessment is now required by the European authorities (EFSA) to decide whether and under what conditions these vegetables can be imported. Momordica is already on the list of high-risk products and cannot be exported to Europe after December 14, 2019, unless the EFSA carries out a risk assessment for the exporting country.
In addition to the new phytosanitary rules, the EU Regulation on official controls provides for stricter documentary and physical controls on arrival in Europe. To this end, the competent authorities of the EU Member States must now inspect at least 1% of all consignments accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. This percentage can increase up to 100% if there is a high risk of interception.
“All these changes have important implications for the national inspection services of exporting countries. In the future, inspections at the point of export will have to be carried out in a very thorough manner. If pests are found on arrival in Europe, in particular, regulated pests, EU authorities are likely to take measures that have serious consequences for export sectors,” the delegation warns.
SA