This regulatory visit aimed at improving better understand the EU official control system on food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements and contribute to increase confidence of the Indian representatives, leading to a trade facilitation for EU food products.

In April 2023, a delegation of six officers of FSSAI (the import control authority in India) visited the EU to hold meetings with DG TRADE and DG SANTE in Brussels, and exchange with their counterparts in the Competent Authorities of four Member States. They also visited official laboratories in Belgium, Ireland and Austria and the EURL (CVUA Freiburg) for pesticide residues detection in Germany. Visits were organised in four (4) establishments (1 in Belgium, 1 in Austria and 2 in Germany). Exchanges were also organised with Officer of the EU Delegation in India in charge of SPS measures. This visit provided them a comprehensive overview of the repartition of roles and responsibilities of all the actors of the food safety system in the EU, namely: EC, MS and Operators.