When quality dominates the "game"
Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that European Union (EU) has just issued a document proposing to send an inspection team to Vietnam to inspect and evaluate measures to control pesticides in food of plant origin exported to this region.
EU inspection team is expected to start working in Binh Thuan on June 11, then continue to monitor the Western provinces with dragon fruit, durian and chili products. Inspection areas are Tien Giang, Long An, Binh Thuan and Ho Chi Minh City. Inspection team will directly visit growing areas and processing and packaging facilities to check thorough correction of errors in food safety conditions of facilities according to the provisions of law and in the traceability report.
Inspection activities are regularly deployed by EU in import markets outside EU. Previously, from September 24 to October 17, 2024, the agency implementing policies of European Union (EU) on health and food safety inspected residue program in Vietnam with farmed aquatic products and honey.
Speaking to reporters of Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu - Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that in order to prepare for the delegation's arrival, the Department also requested that establishments prepare and store fully and easily accessible records related to food safety conditions, production records of shipments exported to the EU and records of tracing shipments that have been warned. Prepare a summary report on the production situation and food safety conditions of the establishment to present and work with inspection delegation. At the same time, it is also required that establishments on the inspection list immediately send information on growing areas that provide raw materials to prepare procedures.
Standardization for long-distance travel
Speaking to reporters of Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam - Deputy Director of Vietnam SPS Office (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) - said that EU currently divides imported agricultural products and food into 2 categories, low risk and high risk. In particular, low-risk products, through your assessments will not require systematic control at the border. On contrary, high-risk products will require more control measures.
However, regarding the requirement to import some food and feed products of non-animal origin into the EU, that is, high-risk products must be subject to official control according to the Union Regulation (EU) 2019/1973, including Vietnam.
Regulation 2019/1973 has 3 appendices. Appendix I: Strengthening official control measures of products at the border, checking traceability records, random sampling and analysis according to frequency of shipments (5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%); requiring exporters to notify competent authority in advance according to Regulation (EU) 2019/1013.
Appendix II: Similar requirements to Appendix I with conditions for controlling imported products with special conditions such as certificates from the exporting country's regulatory authority, hazard analysis results.
Appendix IIa: Temporary suspension (pause) of imports into the EU.
EU is currently the third largest market for Vietnamese agricultural and food products. In order for agricultural and food products to enter this market, they must comply with EU market regulations such as regulations on registering business lists, regulations on maximum residue levels (MRL) for products of plant origin, regulations on antibiotic residue levels for products of animal origin, regulations on food additives, food contact materials, etc.
“No longer a game of cheap prices or “easy” markets, Vietnamese agricultural products are forced to change dramatically to adapt to global SPS measures,” Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam shared, adding that one of the biggest changes in current integration context is the speed of updating SPS policies from importing countries.
“China, a major export market for Vietnamese agricultural products, constantly changes frequency of inspections, raises chemical residue standards and requires additional labels, growing area codes, farming area codes, and packaging facility codes. Indonesia has also just notified the WTO about integrated quarantine model, setting new standards for imported goods. Japan, the EU and Arab countries also regularly change regulations on pesticide residue levels,” Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam cited.
Vietnam has participated in 17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including many new generation FTAs such as: CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP, UKVFTA, VIFTA, CEPA. It is very necessary to be proactive and increase the speed of grasping information about FTAs in exporting agricultural products and food. Vietnam has been exporting agricultural products and food to 200 countries and territories. Therefore, businesses must proactively build linkage chains and organize production to meet the requirements of SPS measures for each market.
EU market imports about 350 million USD worth of vegetables and fruits from Vietnam each year - equivalent to the US market. However, this figure is still very modest compared to the demand and trade of vegetables and fruits in this market of about 500 billion Euros/year. Currently, Vietnamese products exported to the EU will be subject to supervision at the border gate: bell peppers and okra at 50%, dragon fruit at 20%, durian at 10%.
According to industry experts, upcoming inspection results will directly affect the export processing activities of enterprises and affect export turnover of these products not only in the EU market but also in other markets. Therefore, maintaining reputation and quality of agricultural products in general and the fruit and vegetable industry of Vietnam in the EU market is an important premise, contributing significantly to maintaining the growth of export turnover of entire industry.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn