Turkey and the EU opened negotiations over Chapter 12 of the EU acquis -- the 13th of 35 chapters that Turkey has begun working on in preparation for membership in the union -- last Wednesday in a move that many hope will not only bring the country closer to EU status but also significantly improve the quality of life domestically in itself. Turkish Minister of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Mehdi Eker last week hailed the chapter’s opening as proof that Turkey now possesses the infrastructure and equipment necessary to implement EU standards in food production, while Miguel Angel Moratinos, the foreign minister of former EU presidency holder Spain, noted that the opening held important political meaning in that it showed Turkey’s EU negotiations were alive and making progress.The food safety chapter comprises three main areas that impact food production and consumption in Turkey at every level, “from the farm to the fork.” Setting out detailed rules for foodstuff production, the EU acquis includes detailed rules to safeguard animal health, treatment and identification as well as ensuring quality when it comes to seeds and plants. On the consumer level, this means that should Turkey succeed in capturing the EU standard in food production and consumption, Turks will have easy access to knowledge about everything they eat, including where it came from and how it was grown or raised -- in short, there will be a heightened level of peace of mind when it comes to culinary concerns.
There are over 1,200 regulations that must be implemented to bring Turkey to the EU standard with regard to Chapter 12. In the EU’s latest progress report on Turkey’s membership process, progress in the food safety field was noted as limited. “Efforts continued, but transposition and implementation of the acquis in this area is still at an early stage. Strengthening administrative structures remains pivotal for continuing alignment under this chapter,” the report reads.
Food Safety Association (GGD) President Samim Saner shared his reactions to the chapter’s opening in an interview with Sunday’s Zaman, expressing both optimism over the development and an awareness of the serious work that lies ahead.
“The opening of the food safety chapter is a positive development for our country. With a new law, our legal infrastructure became aligned with the EU in theory. But following this, our legal infrastructure must be institutionalized and brought to an implementable state through secondary regulations and applications. This part is a more difficult and detailed process,” he said.
According to Saner, at the head of the chapter areas that will prove challenging for Turkey are the regulations related to primary production -- plants and animals. “On an economic scale, in most situations the low number of animals per farm makes it economically impossible to ensure animal husbandry production that is in alignment with food safety standards. … The same situation is in question for agricultural production. Without addressing these two basic issues, implementing the regulations and achieving the targeted success isn’t possible,” he said, adding that Turkey also had its work cut out when it comes to eradicating animal disease and improving monitoring.
Turkey struggles with the tracking and identification of farm animals, sometimes leading to issues such as illegally imported meat entering the market, or the sale of products such as horsemeat marketed as beef.
While Turkey has opened 13 of 35 EU negotiation chapters, it has only completed one. Saner says that the speed at which the food chapter will be completed depends on how quickly Turkey can complete and implement secondary-level regulations. “As the GGD, we were prepared to provide the ministry with support at every juncture, and it is this type of strong cooperation that will bring success in our country in the field of food safety. In particular the applicability of legal regulations carries great importance. What is desired is for agricultural and food companies to come into line with EU hygienic standards,” he said.
But as the GGD’s Saner cautions, there is work to be done, and the closing of the chapter will be the measure of Turkey’s success in bringing its food safety up to the EU standard. “The food safety chapter’s opening is a positive development, but we must also not forget that the chapter’s opening does not signify that the problems with regard to harmonization with the EU have been solved. Right now, only the key criteria to beginning have been secured. If it’s possible to close the chapter, then it is at that point where it will be possible to speak of harmonization. I hope that this new development will bring good news to all of our consumers and our food sector,” he concluded.
What the changes will mean
Full national compliance with the EU standards for food safety would be excellent news for Turkish exporters of food products, opening up the European market to Turkish businesspeople. Melahat Özkan, secretary-general of the All Food Importers Association (TÜGİDER), told Sunday’s Zaman that her association has already mobilized to help bring the country into alignment with the acquis on food safety issues. “We’ve recently completed a report to be presented at an upcoming conference in Slovakia regarding EU foreign trade regulations,” she said. The report, prepared as part of a TÜGİDER project funded by the EU, lists in detail Turkish regulations regarding various foodstuffs, including labeling requirements and current shortcomings.
Should Turkey come into full compliance with the acquis, this will mean a much tougher approach to food labeling and packaging. Food products that present a risk to human health or the environment will be taken off the shelves, while food products with unproved “medicinal” qualities will also be removed from the market. Careful records will be kept of where and how animals are born, raised and slaughtered, while new hygienic standards will be applied to fishing boats, restaurants, grocery stores and food warehouses.
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