At the SPS MAWG, information from stakeholders (Member States, EU businesses, technical experts) is gathered and shared to prevent problems, seek solutions and ensure a coordinated approach to improve market access conditions for EU exporters.
Representatives of the European Commission (DG TRADE, DG AGRI, DG SANTE) gave a report on the last WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee held on November 1-2, 2018, in Geneva, the recent high level visit to Taiwan, the working group and seminar with Korea, the state of works on harmonized certificates, and the implementation of Free Trade Agreements. In addition, different issues related to priority markets, such as the state of play of USA and Mexico, the implementation of CETA, the preparation of the EU-Vietnam FTA implementation, the EU-Indonesia FTA negotiations, and the low risk food products and e-certification in China, among others, were discussed.
During the meeting, representatives of European associations addressed specific problems and concerns to the Commissioners. The European Livestock and Meat Trading Union (UECBV) explained the impact of African swine fever on meat exports. The EU Fish Processors and Traders Association (AIPCE-CEP) gave an overview on EU trade interests and challenges. Finally, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations-General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives (COPA-COGECA) presented the priority markets and trade issues for olive oils.