EU guidelines aim ensure a stable and safe food supply chain amid COVID-19
The Commission has presented guidelines to Member States on health-related border management measures aimed at maintaining supply in wake of the COVID-19 emergency.
The guidelines set out principles for an integrated approach to an effective border management to protect health while preserving the integrity of the internal market.
They include recommendation that Member States should facilitate the crossing of frontier workers, in particular but not only those working in the health care and food sector, and other essential services. It says free circulation of goods is crucial to maintain availability of goods. This is particularly crucial for essential goods such as food supplies including livestock,
No additional certifications should be imposed on goods legally circulating within the EU single market. According to the European Food Safety Authority, there is no evidence that food is a source or a transmission source of COVID-19.
President von der Leyen also announced setting up of a Corona Response Investment Initiative to grant support to the healthcare sector, to the labour market and to support SMEs from all affected sectors.
“This is an important economic package. But we have to acknowledge that the situation is evolving very fast. We stand ready to do more as the situation evolves,” she concluded.
Von der Leyen added: “Our measures to contain the Coronavirus outbreak will be effective only if we coordinate on the European level. We have to take exceptional measures to protect the health of our citizens. But let's make sure goods and essential services continue to flow in our internal market. This is the only way to prevent shortages of medical equipment or food. It's not only an economic issue: our single market is a key instrument of European solidarity. I am in discussion with all Member States so that we confront this challenge together, as a Union.”
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