Project: Opening markets for the export of plants from the phytosanitary field

Preparation of technical reports for the opening of markets and improvement of existing conditions for export to third countries, studying the risks of pest transmission through these goods and possible mitigation measures.

In the context of the World Trade Organization (Agreement on Phytosanitary Measures) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the FAO (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures), each country should reach bilateral agreements with other countries, establishing phytosanitary requirements necessary to mitigate the pest risks of each plant product.

These requirements must have a technical justification and entail an identification of the risks of pest introduction and proposed management options. It is therefore necessary to prepare technical reports based on the information required by the future importing country.

Accordingly, Tragsatec has prepared about 200 reports for MAGRAMA, to more than 40 countries and 100 different products.

Among the activities developed in this project are:

-Studies of the phytosanitary status of pests present in the country and associated with a particular crop or good.
-Analysis of potential measures to mitigate the risk of pest introduction in exports.
-Technical justifications for removing phytosanitary requirements which actually conceal non-tariff barriers under the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of the WTO
-Training courses for staff responsible for carrying out such studies and analysis of pests and diseases.

Tragsatec has carried out these tasks for MAGRAMA since 2000.