The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) is calling on government for compensation for the trade for losses incurred due to failures of the national PEACH system for imports.
The consortium has made the call in its submission to DEFRA as part of the department’s consultation on implementation of the new EU marketing standard regulations due to come into force on July 1. The trade body is also calling for better co-ordination of information between government departments and for the duplication of inputs by the industry via PEACH to be avoided.
DEFRA’s consultation on the standards closes today and the FPC has been meeting with members in order to garner opinion and co-ordinate its response. The FPC response to DEFRA reads: “Given the increasing volumes and types of produce which will be required to be entered on PEACH by a range of government agencies and departments, we are calling for assurance that the system will be far more robust and reliable prior to the implementation of the marketing standards on July 1… Effective synchronisation and clear communications from all agencies and departments is required.”
Increased costs to the UK industry and the lack of a level playing field when it comes to implementation across all EU member states are other areas of concern the consortium has raised with DEFRA.
Nigel Jenney, ceo of the FPC, said: “The fresh produce industry already incurs significant costs to meet existing legislative requirements to import produce. We are concerned that the new EU Marketing Standards, rather than simplifying regulations, will in effect introduce additional layers of bureaucracy, complexity and cost.
“The requirement to enter around 400 products onto the PEACH system with the introduction of a new General Marketing Standard will obliterate any benefits to the industry of removing 26 products from the Specific Marketing Standards, and will cost the industry at least £100,000 a year.
“The proposed implementation of these regulations fails to deliver its objective to reduce costs imposed on the industry. Instead of delivering a clear, simplified set of regulations, these proposals could lead to an even greater proliferation of diverse requirements being set for produce not included among the ‘top 10’.”
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