Monitoring RASFF and EUROPHYT notifications

COLEACP follows sanitary and phytosanitary regulations (SPS) very closely to identify the decisions and trends which could have an impact on the fruit and vegetable value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The information obtained is used to adapt the technical recommendations for producers and inform the ACP suppliers about the measures to be taken.

COLEACP tracks the following issues on a monthly basis in particular:

• MRL exceedances (maximum residue limits) for pesticides on fruit and vegetables arriving on the European market and recorded by the surveillance programmes of the Member States and the European Commission (RASFF notifications)
• Phytosanitary non conformity alerts via EUROPHYT, due to the presence of harmful organisms on fruit and vegetables imported into the European Market.

Starting from October, COLEACP will send a monthly inventory of the notifications by ACP country. This will enable you to stay informed or alert your attention so you may contact COLEACP if required.

Find out more about Europhyt:

The EU rules governing the protection of plants are intended to protect crops, fruit, vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants and forests against parasites and harmful diseases (harmful organisms) and to prevent their introduction and propagation in the EU. The Member States of the EU are required to inspect and track the incidence of harmful organisms in imported products. The results of the surveillance programme are provided to the public via the Europhyt system at https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/europhyt/interceptions_en.

Find out more about the RASFF alert system:

Every Member State of the EU monitors pesticide residues, particularly on fruit and vegetables. The RASFF is informed whenever maximum pesticide residue levels have been exceeded. A RASFF notification is required when the food in question presents a risk to consumer health. The notifications are available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/rapidalert/rasff_portal_database_fr.htm