Training on Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) for the Export of Fishery and Aquatic Products to the European Union (EU)
With the support of the Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3 (TRTA 3) and the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) programme, over forty participating fish exporters together with officers of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are undergoing a two-day training on the “Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) for the Export of Fishery and Aquatic Products to the European Union (EU)”.
The training is set to be conducted in two batches on 17-18 June and 19-20 June 2014 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City.
The EU-funded Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3 (TRTA 3) is an ongoing partnership between the Philippine Government and the European Union (EU) that aims to contribute to the integration of the Philippines into regional and international trading and investment system.
While BFAR is recognized by EU as the Competent Authority for the inspection and certification of fishery and aquatic products and establishments exporting to EU, TRTA 3 backs the provision of capacity building for its officers as enablers of trade between the Philippines and the EU.
On the other hand, the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) is an initiative of the European Commission (EC) that, among others, provides trainings on the EU import requirements for Competent Authorities of countries that EU imports food products from.
With the increasing numbers of exporters in the country that aspire to gain entry to the EU market for fishery and aquatic products, BFAR acknowledges the urgent need for its system to be capable of processing higher volumes of documents and application requirements.
For BFAR to be able to operate as an effective Competent Authority, its data management capabilities have to be significantly improved. This training on TRACES addresses these concerns and will be followed by similar capacity building for BFAR and other Philippine Government agencies that serve to be the direct beneficiaries of TRTA 3 as a project that aims to boost trade as a potent tool for achieving inclusive growth, poverty reduction and employment generation.
As the designated coordinating agency responsible for the administrative and financial management of TRTA 3 on behalf of the Philippine Government, the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) endorses the continuing drive for government agencies to access upgraded systems that will facilitate trade and investment in the Philippines.
“We have to keep up with the current demands so as not to lose our place in the global trade,” says DTI-Central Visayas Regional Director Asteria C. Caberte. “Loss of access to markets like the EU can mean loss of jobs and livelihood opportunities for affected Filipinos.” (ends)
