A Vision to promote quality and foster fair trade

The EU is one of the largest and most valued importers of agricultural products[1]. It maintains some of the world’s most stringent food safety standards[2]  and strict controls over plant and animal health, aimed at preventing the import of pests and diseases. These measures significantly influence and shape the EU’s trade relations with third countries.

Food safety standards

Invasive alien pests pose serious threats to indigenous agriculture, natural ecosystems, and biodiversity in every country. Without adequate controls, pests and plant diseases can spread rapidly through global trade, causing significant economic losses and environmental damage. Effective phytosanitary systems therefore form the backbone of safe and predictable international trade, ensuring that agricultural products move across borders without introducing harmful organisms. Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures are designed to prevent plant health risks while reconciling trade objectives with domestic protection goals. They facilitate trade among partners with aligned standards and help maintain high levels of protection without unnecessarily restricting trade[3]. These measures also reflect a shared responsibility among trading partners, requiring cooperation, transparency, and compliance with agreed rules. These risks underscore the importance of harmonized regulatory measures and robust official controls to safeguard plant health while enabling trade.

The EU Plant Health Law

The establishment of harmonized rules for sampling and visual inspections used in physical checks has significantly strengthened the system of official controls[4], while the recent announcement of an increased number of checks is expected to enhance detection capacity. The EU Plant Health Law[5] has created a coherent and transparent framework for managing import-related pest risks by extending phytosanitary certification requirements[6] to regulated non-quarantine pests[7], structuring temporary derogations from import prohibitions[8], and listing high-risk plants and plant products[9]. It also formalizes procedures for recognizing the equivalence of pest risk mitigation measures and enhances the use of plant passports[10] and digitalized post-import controls. Implementing legislation[11] establishes detailed phytosanitary requirements governing trade in plants and related commodities. Preventive action now extends beyond border controls through expanded certification obligations[12]. The regulatory framework is evolving to enhance safety while minimizing compliance costs and reducing border rejections[13].

Effective food safety and plant health standards are central to protecting human health, the environment, and the sustainability of agri-food systems, while enabling international trade[14]. Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides play a key role in consumer protection and are intended to facilitate trade between countries. However, the stringency of EU MRLs may create challenges for producers in third countries by increasing compliance costs, contributing to border rejections, and restricting market access. At the same time, European stakeholders advocate stricter rules, particularly regarding active substances prohibited in the EU. Divergent pesticide residue regulations between the EU and other major economies are becoming a contentious issue in global agri-food trade[15].

The Vision for Agriculture and Food

In its Vision for Agriculture and Food, the European Commission announced stronger alignment of production standards for imports[16], including a principle preventing the re-entry of the most hazardous banned pesticides through imported products, supported by an ongoing impact assessment.

Beyond regulatory measures, broader trade and diplomatic strategies are necessary to ensure stable, resilient agri-food systems globally. Agri-food economic diplomacy will play an increasingly important role. Wars and conflicts threaten trade relationships and exacerbate countries’ food insecurity[17]. Conversely, the deliberate weaponization of food insecurity can further destabilize regions. In response, the EU continues to strengthen ties with willing partners, including through the Global Gateway investment strategy, which aims at fostering the competitiveness of agricultural value chains and supporting resilient, sustainable food systems.

[1] Data retrieved, in December 2025, from the USDA, under the “International Markets & U.S. Trade”, available at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/international-markets-us-trade.

[2] EC (2025a). A Vision for Agriculture and Food. Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations. Brussels, 19.2.2025, COM(2025) 75 final. Available from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0075.

[3] Santeramo, F. G., & Lamonaca, E. (2022a). On the trade effects of bilateral SPS measures in developed and developing countries. The World Economy, 45(10), 3109-3145

[4] Soto Embodas, I., Di Bartolo, F., Kammenou, M., Scalia, R., Sanchez Fernandez, B. and Barreiro Hurle, J. (2021a). Enforcement, effectiveness, cost and benefits of the phytosanitary measures relating to imports into the EU: the Official Controls Regulation case, EUR 30914 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-45184-6, doi:10.2760/334623, JRC126790

[5] Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) (2016). Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament of the Council of 26 October 2016 on protective measures against pests of plants, amending Regulations (EU) No 228/2013, (EU) No 652/2014 and (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 69/464/EEC, 74/647/EEC, 93/85/EEC, 98/57/EC, 2000/29/EC, 2006/91/EC and 2007/33/EC. L317 4-104

[6] For imports, all plants and living plant parts entering the EU must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, with limited exemptions (pineapples, coconuts, durians, bananas, and dates). More details available from https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/plant-health-and-biosecurity/plant-health-rules_en.

[7] Expected to take effect from July 2026.

[8] Subject to evidence-based reporting by exporting countries.

[9] The establishment of a Union Plant Health Team enhances the EU’s capacity for rapid technical intervention in the event of new pest outbreaks, including cooperation with non-EU countries where outbreaks pose a direct risk to the Union.

[10] Within the EU, plant passports function as official labels ensuring that plants moved between professional operators comply with plant health requirements. The system has proven largely effective in mitigating major plant health risks.

[11] Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/2072/oj/eng

[12] Soto Embodas, I., Di Bartolo, F., Kammenou, M., Scalia, R., Charels, D., Sanchez Fernandez, B. and Barreiro Hurle, J. (2021b). Enforcement, effectiveness, costs, and benefits of the phytosanitary measures for imports into the EU: The Specific Import Procedures case, EUR 30909 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-44742-9, doi:10.2760/369852, JRC126792

[13] Interested readers may refer to the FSR policy debate “The evolving EU framework for phytosanitary measures”: https://fsr.eui.eu/event/the-evolving-eu-framework-for-phytosanitary-measures/

[14] The Non-Tariff Measures for the protection of the environment (environmental NTMS) have expanded rapidly, becoming a central element of global climate and sustainability strategies, and have progressively expanded into agriculture. The END database documents all publicly traceable environmental technical measures implemented since 2008: https://globalgovernanceprogramme.eui.eu/project/a-global-environmental-non-tariff-measures-database/

[15] Interested readers may refer to the FSR policy debate “From vision to implementation: Pesticide standards and international trade”:              https://fsr.eui.eu/event/from-vision-to-implementation-pesticide-standards-and-international-trade/

[16] The Commission has launched in 2025 the Impact Assessment to consider the impacts on the EU’s competitive position and the international implications.

[17] Afesorgbor, S. K., Santeramo, F., & Steinbach, S. (2025). Global Governance, Economic Sanctions and Agricultural Trade in a Fragmenting World Economy. The World Economy, 48(10), 2290-2294.