EAC REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON HARMONIZATION OF FOOD SAFETY MEASURES IN AFRICA

From 22^nd until 25^th of January 2013, the Delegation of the European Union together with the East African Community (EAC) under the Joint EU Africa Strategy (JAES) are organizing the four-day workshop ‘Regional Workshop on Harmonization of Food Safety Measures in Africa’, that will take place in Hotel EKA, Nairobi, Kenya.
 

The workshop aims at strengthening harmonization of the food hygiene management through "Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) in Africa". 

The objective is to facilitate the harmonization of food safety measures in Africa, through the application, region-by-region, of Reference Framework and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene, enhancing intra and inter-regional trade and integration in Africa.

 Specifically, the workshop objectives are 

·      - To facilitate the finalization of the technical details of the EAC Food Safety measures;

·    - To reflect and agree on how to implement the African Reference and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene in the EAC Partner States; and

·   - To cross-fertilize ideas with the AUC, and other RECs (UEMOA, ECOWAS, COMESA, etc) in order to domesticate and apply the Reference and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene in Africa.

LOCATION: EKA HOTEL, Along Mombasa Road, PO Box 27695-00506, Nairobi, Tel: + 254 0 (733 333 404); Email: info@ekahotel.com

REGISTRATION: 
Media representatives are invited to attend the opening presentations on Tuesday 22^nd January starting from 9:00 am until 10:50h, followed by a health break.

The program will run from 22^nd until 24^th of January, starting from 8:30h until 18:00h, while on Friday 

 25^th of January the conclusions will be presented starting from 8:00h until 10:30h.

The EU under the Joint EU Africa Strategy (JAES) relates to Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure under strategic priority 3. Priority 3 of the Action Plan 2011-2013 concerns the improvement of the competitiveness and the diversification of African agriculture and industry, notably by strengthening African capacities in the area of rules, standards and quality control. 

One of the key activities under the priority aims at enhancing the capacity of administrations, producers and exporters at all levels to meet the regulatory requirements of export markets within Africa and the EU and strengthen harmonization of SPS frameworks within Africa.

In an effort to help developing countries improve their food safety systems for the benefit of their populations and economies, the European Commission launched an initiative - "Better Training for Safer Food in Africa - BTSF - Africa." The training covers food and feed law, animal health and welfare rules and plant health rules.

The BTSF initiative resulted in the preparation of Reference Framework and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene in Africa, which was endorsed by AU Summit in January 2011 and is now being domesticated and applied by the Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

The East African Community (EAC) is currently implementing its Food Security Action Plan (2011-2015) and preparing to implement the regional SPS Protocol that was recently approved by the EAC Council of Ministers and the Summit recently.   

The SPS measures as prepared by EAC are in four volumes including: SPS Volume I: Phytosanitary measures and procedures for Plants; (ii) SPS Volume II: Zoosanitary measures and procedures for Mammals, Birds & Bees; (iii) SPS Volume III: Measures and procedures for Fish and Fisheries; and (iv) SPS Draft Harmonized Food Safety Measures.

CONTACTS:

For more information please visit http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org;

Timothy Wesonga, Senior Livestock officer, EAC Secretariat ,  twesonga@eachhq.org; or

Owora Richard Othieno, Head of Department; Corporate Communications and Public Affairs; EAC Secretariat, Tel: +255 784 835021; Arusha, Tanzania; Email: othieno@eachq.org