Coceral and GMP+ sign mutual recognition agreement
The European grains and oilseeds and trade and supply chain, united in Coceral, and GMP+ International have signed the agreement formalising the mutual recognition between the feed safety schemes GTP (Coceral) and the GMP+ FSA scheme (GMP+ International).
It applies with immediate effect and covers the collection, storage, trading and transport of unprocessed and processed feed materials of vegetable origin (excluding fats and oils).
Coceral and GMP+ International acknowledged the crucial need for operators to rely on safe, transparent and equivalent rules allowing a smooth functioning of the internal exempted from non-tariff barriers to trade.
The agreement was reached on the basis of the GMP+ documents currently applicable and the October 2011 version of the GTP Code and Certification Rules to enter into force as from 1st January 2012.
A transition period is granted to GTP participants until their next surveillance audit so as to ensure equivalence of GTP and GMP+ certificates.
Dioxin solution
The positive outcome of this process encouraged both parties to look after other areas for cooperation such as the development of requirements on the dioxin monitoring of fats and oils which may lead to an extension of the mutual recognition scope to the concerned products.
Finally, Coceral and GMP+ International are currently working on common multisite certification rules and will investigate next year on the feasibility to harmonise their gatekeeper requirements.
