While Europe is seeking to improve human, animal and plant health along the agri-food chain through a new regulation, EuroCommerce is pleased to see that members of the Parliament support more cooperation with stakeholders, as well as the need to consider operators’ private quality assurance schemes. This ensures controls are done where most needed without duplicating those already done by the food businesses themselves, the organization stated, following the line set out by the Envi committee. Christian Verschueren, EuroCommerce Director-General said: «Overall Meps have shown recognition of the efforts and good practices already put in place by the commerce sector in providing consumers with safe food, as well as the benefit of working together».
Retail is also satisfied with the compromise reached on the obligation to publish control results. «We favour openness and transparency. We support the fact that information published on control results should be proportionate to the risk of public health». While EuroCommerce remains of the opinion that official controls should be paid for with public funds, a cost-sharing approach is more acceptable than transferring the full cost to the private sector, as was initially proposed. Christian Verschueren added: «Charging the private sector for this public responsibility needs to be further thought through to fully understand the benefit, practicability and fairness of this system».
