Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance

Strengthening Food Control and Phytosanitary Capacities and Governance (GCP/GLO/949/EC)

Budget: USD 5,000,000 (total), USD 2,000,000 approximately (phytosanitary matters) Start: January 2022 End: December 2023

Strongly equipped and well-functioning national food control systems and phytosanitary systems are essential prerequisites to guarantee safe and healthy food to citizens on one hand, and to comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements for international trade on the other hand.
Weak food control systems cannot ensure the safety of locally produced and imported food for public health nor demonstrate compliance with food safety standards in export markets. Similarly, without a sound national phytosanitary system, new plant pests can enter a country, damage plant production and the environment, whilst limiting access to new markets.
Addressing these challenges requires a systematic approach to assess and develop capacities, with progressive measurable indicators, and a more detailed understanding and use of common procedures to meet international trade requirements vis-à-vis international standards.

In this context, the Food control system assessment tool, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Phytosanitary capacity evaluation (PCE) process, enabled by the PCE tool, developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), provide internationally recognized common approaches when assessing national food control systems and phytosanitary systems, respectively, leading to the prioritization of needs and recommendations for ways forward. Promoting common approaches for assessing national food control systems and national phytosanitary systems, contributes to the aligning of mindsets on the same conceptual basis and references, based on international standards. This provides powerful support towards regional harmonization and contributes to improved dialogue for enhanced trade at regional and global level.

The European Commission is providing a total of five million euros to conduct eight Food Safety Assessments and nine Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluations in COMESA countries from January 2022 until December 2023. The project is managed by the FAO Food Safety Unit.

This project accounts for the following phytosanitary activities, for a total of approximately two million euros:

• Develop and implement a training program for phytosanitary specialists on the use and implementation of the IPPC Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation process and tool, ensuring quality control and appropriate use of the methodology, in line with the topic “PCE facilitators training” (2014-008);
• Carry out Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluations in 9 COMESA countries, prepare a comprehensive analysis on SPS capacities and gaps, undertake consultations with targeted countries and develop a plan to address identified gaps at national and regional level, in line with the PCE Strategy 2020-2030;
• Provide technical advice feeding into specific areas of work supporting the African Union processes aiming at strengthening phytosanitary systems (including policy frameworks, indexes, early warning systems, scientific basis for decision-making, advocacy and capacity development activities).

The IC Team on PCE is closely involved in the implementation of this project.

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