Freshfel voices need for simplification of EU agricultural quality policy
FL 2010 Forum: “New marketing norms in Europe – How is the trade coping?”
During Fruit Logistica 2010, visitors had the opportunity to attend the forum entitled “New marketing norms in Europe – How is the trade coping?” at which Frederic Rosseneu, Food Safety Advisor for Freshfel, outlined the new marketing standards of the European Commission.
In Rosseneu’s opinion, EC regulation No. 1221/2008 introduced a new framework of marketing standards in accordance with the slogan “Sound, fair and of marketable quality,” and this has rationalised checking operations for the Member States.
Frederic Rosseneu argued that the new European Union agricultural quality policy requires simplification and should aim to reduce costs and food waste. He also declared that food size and shape should not determine marketability. In the opinion of the Food Safety Advisor, private standards have largely taken care of quality and there has been widespread ignorance of the realities of the sector at a political level.
Rosseneu highlighted a number of criticisms of the new regulation: there is no impact assessment as yet; political discussion focuses on the number of standards rather than on real simplification; there is additional control and paperwork, a proliferation of standards, and a lack of comparability. According to Rosseneu, there is a need for compulsory standards in markets with less retail dominance.
Rosseneu declared that at present there are two objectives:
- To determine to what extent specific standards for fruit and vegetables in the EU are useful for producers, traders, packers and retailers, and
- To assess the validity of the arguments against or in favour of repealing specific standards
Among further policy developments, Rosseneu referred to a possible follow-up decision within the framework of EU Quality Policy by the end of 2010, and to a guiding principle of “Replacement of detailed marketing standards by a general standard”.
S&G Brassicas Today - March 2010
