Ukraine resumes discussions on remote audits in the SPS sector within the WTO
On 2 November, on the eve of the regular meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), a thematic side event organised by Ukraine took place, focusing on the prospects and challenges of conducting remote audits and product inspections for compliance with SPS requirements.
Over 120 people, both in the hall and online, took part in the event, which was attended by the Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, S. Tkachuk, S. Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the WTO, as well as representatives from Australia, Brazil, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). A key feature of the event was the presentation of the private sector’s position by the event’s moderator, M. Bno-Ayriyan, the FRU’s Special Representative for Trade and Vice-President for International Relations at the MHP agricultural holding.
The issue of remote audits has become particularly relevant for Ukraine in the context of the Russian war, now in its fifth consecutive year, as the current security situation is causing concern amongst foreign inspectors and often forces them to decline visits to our country for the purpose of conducting on-site audits. At the same time, this should not stand in the way of Ukraine opening up new commodity markets around the world.
The issue of remote audits is not new, as countries began to adopt this practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, particularly now, against the backdrop of the ongoing Russian war, a series of military conflicts and natural disasters around the world, and a significant rise in fuel prices, conducting remote audits can serve as an optimal mechanism for saving time and budgetary resources on inspections, as well as for strengthening existing on-site activities in this area.
The relevance and timeliness of the event were noted by the majority of the delegations and technical experts present. It is for this reason that Ukraine will continue its advocacy work in the areas of standardisation and engaging as many countries as possible in conducting remote audits and product inspections for compliance with GSP requirements within the framework of the WTO and other relevant international platforms.