In order to prevent pests from reaching Europe, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, traveled with the Minister of Agriculture, Mireia Mollà, and representatives of the agricultural and citrus sector to Brussels. They conveyed to the European Commission the need to demand stricter sanitary standards in South African citrus exports to the European Union.
From the meeting between Ximo Puig and the Director-General of Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, Sandra Gallina, it emerged that Brussels is aware of the urgency of finding solutions to the pests. Those were originated in imports from South Africa and in turn affect Valencian citrus. However, the president himself acknowledged that it will be difficult to achieve long-term results.
According to data provided by the Generalitat, so far this year 172 shipments of citrus imported into the EU have been intercepted with harmful organisms, of which 61 come from South Africa. Of the latter, 41 contained the black spot pest and 18 the false moth.
Both the Valencian Government and the main associations of the agricultural sector have asked Brussels to force South Africa to apply a cold treatment to citrus exported to the EU, as happens in the products exported to the United States.
The president went on to state that the EU has different views on this issue. However, the EU will not import South African citrus for a few months, until next season.
Source
Freshplaza.com. 2021. The Generalitat Valenciana demands in Brussels greater sanitary measures for citrus imports from South Africa. [online] Available at: <https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9377335/the-generalitat-valenciana-demands-in-brussels-greater-sanitary-measures-for-citrus-imports-from-south-africa/> [Accessed 7 December 2021].