MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS
In order to promote their food exports many developing countries have engaged in establishing and implementing export inspection systems. These systems provide for certification of food exports in conformity with international standards where available and so requested, yet in most cases, prior to the Uruguay Round trade agreements (see Box), it was the requirements of importing countries and their regulations that prevailed. Thus, as a rule, inspection and certification were carried out to meet the buyer's specifications and depended largely on end-product testing. Such systems have existed in many countries, developed to varying degrees of sophistication. The Uruguay Round agreements, which place the greatest reliance on the international standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, have for once provided a level playing field for all concerned. In the context of these agreements, to facilitate trade the exporting and importing countries may enter into mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) which would establish that the inspection and certification system of one country is equivalent to that of the other, providing the same level of protection. To see that one-sided so-called "mutual" agreements between the buyer and the seller become a thing of the past, the concerned Codex committees have to play a crucial role in elaborating objective and scientific principles which alone should govern international trade.
MRAs have several benefits. They provide, among others:
assurance of an adequate level of protection for the consumer;
better utilization of pooled resources to ensure food safety;
facilitation of trade and elimination of delays at point of entry;
reduced dependence on routine checking at point of import and hence savings in the monitoring resources of the importing country;
harmonization of food regulations and control systems in different countries;
the establishment of a consultative mechanism between the two parties for rapid resolution of problems in conformity assessment and related issues.
As many countries are anxious to take full advantage of the expanding global economy and liberalized food trade environment, it is appropriate that they look into the implications of the trade agreements vis-à-vis their national food regulatory systems. The task of ensuring food quality and safety is huge and quite complex. It calls for shared responsibility among international trading partners. Unfortunately, because of the lack of scientific data and technical personnel trained in the techniques of risk analysis the task for many developing countries may not be easy. The situation is more difficult for small-scale manufacturers who also lack resources and technical expertise in conformity assessment procedures which might be laid down by importing countries. This article attempts to deal with some of the issues and to make a case of how an MRA or a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the importing and exporting countries might be developed to help further trade prospects. No attempt is made to provide any structured framework of a draft agreement or protocol which lies within the terms of reference of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Certification and Inspection Systems and for which several proposals are in the process of development (FAO/WHO, 1997a,c).
PREREQUISITES FOR ENSURING FOOD QUALITY