The Fit For Market SPS programme support to strengthen the national SPS systems of Suriname

On 24 May 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (Ministerie van Landbouw, Veeteelt en Visserij – LVV) of the Republic of Suriname, in collaboration with COLEACP and CAHFSA, organised a 1-day workshop in the capital Paramaribo entitled “Eggplant R-SAT Validation”. The workshop was attended by key representatives from the public and private horticulture sector. During the workshop, experts presented the results of the application of the R-SAT tool to the SPS control system and identified priority activities. Two main interventions have been initiated to strengthen the national SPS system of Suriname namely:

• Review and update the legislation of Suriname for consistency with the IPPC and provisions for establishing a parastatal NPPO.
• Draft a new food law for Suriname.

For the first intervention, an expert reviewed the current plant health law of Suriname comparing this to IPPC legislation to determine the level of consistency and identify necessary modifications to the technical content. The legal description and management structure of the NPPO will be reviewed with the intent to propose modifications for establishing the NPPO as a parastatal body in terms of organisational and management structure as well as the financing options required for operation. To achieve this, several meetings are being held with the main stakeholders for consensus building. When feedback is received from all stakeholders, the revised plant health law will be finalised.

The objective of the second intervention is drafting a new food law for Suriname because the current food law – dating back to 1911 – is outdated. COLEACP experts, amongst others, will review the relevant national legislation, act in an advisory capacity to the National Institute for Food Safety (NIVS) on all aspects of the food law and its governance structure, and study the policy documents underpinning the reform of the food law to draft the new food law. Upon incorporation of feedback received during the stakeholder consultations, the final draft of the food law will be tabled in Parliament.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market SPS programme, implemented by COLEACP within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.