On the one hand, European health inspectors are pushing for more and stricter controls on the quality of imported food. This is partly driven by farmers and their agricultural organizations to keep foreign competition out of the EU market.
On the other hand, farming coalitions are urging Brussels to relax the rules and criteria for their own use of pesticides in agriculture. After several years of Green Deal policies, many rules and criteria in the EU are now being relaxed or even completely abolished in favor of business interests.
Strict Controls
An important stumbling block for a trade agreement with India is the intensive inspection of certain agricultural products from India. Depending on the product, twenty to fifty percent of shipments are inspected before they can be placed on the European market.
Promotion
In addition to pesticide residues, bacterial and fungal contaminations, as well as shortcomings in certification and labeling, are cited as reasons for rejection. Most refusals, however, are not directly related to detected pesticide residues.
Food Safety
These additional inspections have direct consequences for trade: longer waiting times at the border, higher costs for exporters, and more uncertainty about delivery. As a result, there is a growing belief in India that discussions should not only focus on tariffs and market access but also on how European food safety regulations are implemented.
Without solutions for the practical execution, the benefits of a trade agreement risk remaining limited according to Indian economists. At the same time, Brussels calls for improving quality control within India.
Improvement
The emphasis is especially on a better control system, from cultivation to export, with more inspections, improved traceability, recognized laboratories, and stricter compliance with regulations. Only in this way will India be able to meet current European requirements.
Meanwhile, a completely different debate is emerging within EU bodies about the use of pesticides. Farmer organizations and representatives of the chemical industry are joining forces to advocate for easing European rules. They argue that farmers within the EU should not be burdened more heavily than their competitors in non-EU countries.
Organic
At the same time, alternatives to chemical crop protection are being sought. Projects are underway to develop biological solutions aimed at reducing the use of chemical agents. This means that within and outside Europe, divergent visions coexist regarding the future of crop protection and the conditions under which agricultural products can be traded internationally.