The three technical assistance seminars will take place in June (India and November (Republic of Korea and ASEAN). The seminars will adopt a participatory approach and will focus upon an exchange of information of the SPS systems in place in each respective trading partner. Topics to be addressed during the seminars are selected in consultation with the EC and the competent authorities in each of the individual countries and presentations at the seminar will be made by both EU and participating countries’ experts.

The overall objective of the project is to improve mutual understanding and transparency of SPS issues between the EU and participant countries/region (Republic of Korea, India, ASEAN) and reducing difficulties being experienced by target countries in relation to export requirements.

The specific objectives of this series of seminars are:

• To ensure that administrators involved in food controls in participating countries are properly informed on EU legislation for export to the EU of food products, and products of animal or plant origin,
• To advise participant countries on administrative issues including establishment/optimisation of food safety infrastructure and action plans,
• To facilitate discussions towards the implementation of the FTAs currently being negotiated between the EU and Asian countries

The beneficiaries of the project will be food safety administrators from the target countries. The project will result in wider benefits as following implementation of the seminars, the SPS policy makers in participant countries will be better informed to ensure compliance with EU SPS-related regulations. This will benefit participant countries’ food producers, exporters and thus their agricultural economies in general through greater facilitation of trade opportunities. It will also benefit consumers in target countries as domestic food safety standards give rise due to stronger SPS policies and regulations and food safety infrastructure. It is envisaged that through these seminars, the Asian SPS administrators will gain an understanding, not only of the EU SPS regime itself, but also of the benefits that designing such a regime will bring. The benefits of increased SPS compliance among third country exporters will also result in food safety benefits for European consumers. EU enterprises will benefit through the increased understanding, cooperation, and likelihood of mutual recognition and SPS standards harmonisation. For the agendas of the respective seminars