Tighter rules leave bio importers struggling

Stricter regulations, more paperwork, and less flexibility. Starting in March, the import process for organic products in the Netherlands will undergo major changes. And those changes are already causing headaches for importers and service providers in the food supply chain, according to research commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.

Rules tighten, but clarity is lacking

Most companies are reasonably satisfied with how things work now. Even so, there’s growing concern about what’s coming. While many businesses have their procedures well organised, new requirements, like filling out the COI in TRACES in full, are hard to match with how things actually work in practice.

Sometimes, the necessary information just isn’t available yet. Still, fields like ETA and first consignee must be filled in ahead of time. Changing them later? That won’t be allowed. “We’ll end up with dozens of open COIs that we’ll be updating and tracking all day long. That’s just not manageable.”

Why these changes are needed in the first place isn’t clear to many businesses. In fact, there’s a strong sense that the Netherlands is stricter than others. “Ours is the strictest, because in Belgium this isn’t even required.”

Speed, flexibility and availability

When it comes to fresh goods, time really is money. A single delay or error can lead to loss of quality, or even force a downgrade from organic to conventional. And that means losing revenue. Just like that.

Importers are asking for some leeway to correct minor mistakes. And to decide themselves when a COI should be approved. “For us, signing off doesn’t happen right after customs clearance. We only do that once everything checks out.”

Confusion over who’s in charge

It’s often unclear who’s responsible for what, Customs or Skal. And that lack of clarity is frustrating. So is getting hold of the right person, especially outside office hours.

Because when you urgently need help, you should be able to get it. Fast. No excuses.

Rijksoverheid.nl