One of the measures included in the National Food Strategy that is of great interest to the fruit and vegetable producing and exporting sector is to incorporate measures in negotiations with third countries that seek to bring plant, animal health, and food safety requirements into line with those established for the European Union.
The National Food Strategy also proposed implementing trade policies that guarantee the competitiveness of the Spanish agri-food and fisheries sector. For example, it proposes "incorporating measures in negotiations with third countries and blocks of third countries that seek to bring plant, animal health, and food safety requirements into line with those established for the European Union."
This is an important proposal for the fruit and vegetable producing and exporting sector as the Community's higher production and marketing requirements make it lose competitiveness against imports from third countries that face fewer requirements in their countries of origin. However, its implementation depends largely on the European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating trade agreements with third countries.
Another of the actions proposed by the ENA to improve competitiveness is to favor access to third-country markets, a measure that is also of great interest to the fruit and vegetable sector.
Two sub-measures are proposed for this. On the one hand, "working to reduce asymmetries related to tariff barriers imposed by third countries and concessions granted to imports within the framework of agreements and treaties negotiated by the European Commission, working with the affected production sectors." On the other hand, "working to reduce health and trade barriers, through protocols and agreements".
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