MODEL bills for plant protection and animal health, food safety, fish health and fisheries products with relevant protocols and standards for adoption by all CARIFORUM states have been completed under a European Union (EU)-funded project, according to the local office of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA).The project is titled: “Support to the Caribbean Forum of ACP States in the Implementation of Commitments Undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures,” a press statement said.
And the overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of CARIFORUM states for international market access through compliance with SPS measures, as well as improve capacity for developing regionally harmonised SPS measures.
The completed model bills aim at enhancing CARIFORUM Agricultural Health and Food Safety efforts and strengthening enforcement guidelines to facilitate increased and hassle-free regional and international marketing in agriculture and fisheries.
The harmonised legislation for implementation of SPS measures will set the stage for increased intra- and extra-regional trade, thereby securing the livelihoods of farmers, the IICA office disclosed.
This is consistent with Guyana’s quest to expand and diversify its agriculture sector and to retain its net food exporter status.
SPS measures are embodied in protocols which ensure that imported food is safe and prevents the spread of pests and diseases among animals and plants.
A workshop to validate the draft SPS bills is to be held in Barbados early in June.
Apart from Guyana, other beneficiary countries are Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Belize; Dominica; The Dominican Republic; Grenada; Haiti; Jamaica; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago.
The draft legislation is to be taken through the remaining process of recommendations by legal and technical officials to Heads of Government and then for adoption by member countries via their Parliaments.
The SPS Project commenced in September 2013 and is being implemented by the IICA in collaboration with the following partners – CARICOM Secretary (CCS), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the SPS Committee of The Dominican Republic.
IICA representative in Guyana, Wilmot Garnett, said yesterday that if all goes as planned, the harmonised bills will become law in each of the CARIFORUM countries by the end of this year. The harmonised and upgraded legislative framework is one aspect of the EU-funded project.
Two other elements of the EU/IICA SPS Project currently ongoing are development and organisation of an efficient, responsive institutional framework and mechanism for coordination of SPS issues and development of national and regional regulatory and industry capacity to meet the requirements of international trade, the statement added.