The Official College of Agronomists of Center and Canarias has underscored the need to effectively strengthen border import controls, guaranteeing strict compliance with Chapter 14 of the EU-Mercosur agreement, which establishes that products exported from one party must meet the applicable sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of the importing party.
Likewise, it has recalled that the agreement itself attributes to the **exporting party the responsibility of establishing the necessary establishments,** control, verification, and supervision systems.In this context, it is essential that products imported from Mercosur offer the same quality and food safety guarantees as those required for European products, avoiding **competitive imbalances** and preserving consumer confidence
This reinforcement of controls is also an indispensable condition for the safeguard clauses approved by the European Parliament for agricultural products to be activated when necessary.
The organization views the European Commission's proposal to increase audits in non-EU countries over the coming years and to train officials responsible for official controls positively, provided that the necessary resources and personnel are secured to carry them out efficiently.
Accompanying measures in European agriculture
The College is aware that the agreement may represent new opportunities for part of the agri-food industry, facilitating exports and access to these markets.
However, he shares the concern of agricultural producers, especially the most vulnerable ones, regarding the impact that trade liberalization could have if it is not accompanied by complementary measures
For agricultural engineers, the EU-Mercosur agreement must be accompanied by "effective measures to increase the competitiveness of the most vulnerable farms, especially small family farms," promoting cooperative integration and other models of production and marketing integration.
Also a firm "boost to agricultural innovation, in plant breeding, mechanization, irrigation, and farm management, which contributes to improving the profitability and working conditions of producers".
They also highlight the need to develop instruments that guarantee the **stability of agricultural income**, reducing the high volatility to which farms are subjected.
A real simplification of the CAP and environmental requirements, along with the maintenance of community funds for the agricultural sector.In fourth place, they propose **more balanced commercial relations** in the food chain, allowing for **fair prices for producers.**
In these tasks, the College makes itself available to the agri-food sector to work together on improving the competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural holdings.
