G/SPS/GEN/1691  
 
12 March  2019 
(19-1486) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
UPDATE ON ADDITIONAL  SUPPORT TO STRENGTH EN NATIONAL SPS CAPA CITIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE ACP SECRETARIAT  
The followi ng communication, received on 8 March  2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
ACP secretariat . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1.  African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries can take full advantage of agricultural trade only 
if they are able to supply produce that is competitive and compliant with the regulations and 
standards in operation. Increasingly stringent sanitary and phyt osanitary (SPS) measures, coupled 
with market demands for environmental, social and ethical standards, are a challenge for ACP 
suppliers and increasingly affect their ability to access domestic, regional and international markets. 
Evolving EU SPS regulatio ns are having a particular impact. This includes strengthened plant health 
rules (under current Directive 2000/29/EC, and the new Regulation EU 2016/2031), which are 
designed to prevent the introduction or spread of harmful organisms in the European Union,  but also 
place increased demands on ACP inspection services and national plant protection organizations. 
Regulation (EC) 1107/2009, designed to protect workers, consumers and the environment, is leading 
to the loss of authorised plant protection products and, in turn, increased production costs for ACP 
growers, and higher numbers of plant health and pesticide residue non -compliances. 
These  developments are putting pressure on both ACP producers and exporters, as well as public 
sector competent authorities.  
2.  At the request of the ACP group of States through their Embassies in Brussels, the European 
Union has financed a series of technical assistance programmes under the 9th, 10th and 11th EDF. 
These include the PIP Programme, implemented by COLEACP and provid ing support to the ACP fruit 
and vegetable industry to maintain market access and competitiveness in the face of new EU food 
safety regulations and standards. Later the EDES Programme was established to strengthen the 
capacity of ACP countries to implement  risk-based national (public sector) food safety systems.  
3.  In 2016, these were followed by the Fit for Market Programme: "Strengthening competitiveness 
and sustainability of the ACP horticultural sector". This forms part of the Intra -ACP indicative 
programm e in the focal area of support for medium and long -term policies to build productive 
capacity, inspire innovation, and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the private 
sector. By the end of 2018, 600 individual project applications had been su bmitted, originating from 
SMEs, cooperatives, and local support services (public and private) in 40 ACP countries. The EDF 
contribution to Fit for Market of 20 million Euros is co -financed by AfD to the tune of 5 million Euros.  
4.  Despite progress made by Fit  for Market, it became clear that new SPS rules were putting 
increasing pressure on ACP public authorities, in particular inspection services, national plant 
protection organizations, and pesticide registration authorities. Developing the capacity of these  
authorities is fundamental to maintaining the flow of trade and export potential in the high -value 
horticultural sector, as well as to protect consumers in domestic, regional and international markets. 
In this context, a new proposal was developed to comp lement the private sector -focused Fit for 
Market Programme: "Strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary systems in ACP countries for the 
horticultural sector". The emphasis is on raising awareness of SPS regulations and standards, 
enhancing the capacity of p ublic authorities to improve management and enforcement of SPS rules, 
and research brokerage to develop the necessary knowledge and technologies to enable compliance. 
At the request of the ACP Group of States, this new support programme will be delivered b y COLEACP G/SPS/GEN/1691  
 
- 2 - 
 
  between 2019 and 2022, with a budget of 15 million Euros under the 11th EDF. This is a first step 
towards meeting the very considerable need that exists within ACP competent authorities to ensure 
safe food for consumers and provides a foundation for the continued work that will be needed to 
strengthen SPS systems at domestic, regional and international level.  
 
__________