FEPEX asked the Spanish MEPs to support amendments 76-85 in the European Parliament, so that a so-called reverse strategy, that allows for stricter phytosanitary controls on imports, could be adopted. This would entail adopting similar policies to those enforced by the countries most involved in the production and marketing of fruit and vegetables, like the United States and Brazil.
The current phytosanitary control system is based on a "negative list"; i.e., a list of the plants that have been prohibited or that must be subject to inspections at the time of import. Vegetables that are not listed are imported without any controls. However, in recent years, several previously unknown pests have reached Europe, which shows that the current legislation is not sufficiently effective.
The draft EC Regulation on Plant Health for 2013 did not foresee any change on current import strategies; however, the adoption of amendments 76 to 85 involves a reform in the EU's strategies in order to strengthen them, as demanded by the sector. This "reverse strategy" consists in reviewing the phytosanitary risks involved in the import of certain vegetables beforehand, and agreeing on a list of vegetables whose import may be allowed, taking their country of origin into account.