Minister Šarović sends letter to the European Commission regarding new Croatian measures

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirko Šarović sent a letter to the European Commission due to the entry into force of the Rulebook on inspection supervision and control of fruit and vegetable compliance with market standards in the Republic of Croatia, reports the Patria agency.

With the new Rulebook, Croatia has determined a 22-fold increase in the fee for inspection supervision of fruits and vegetables imported from third countries, which also applies to BiH.

Minister Šarović sent the letter to the Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, Christian Danielsson.

- Dear Mr. Danielsson, the Republic of Croatia has adopted a new Rulebook on inspection supervision and control of fruit and vegetable compliance with market standards, which prescribes the introduction of inspection supervision and control of a significantly larger number of fruit and vegetable species imported from third countries than before.

According to the provisions of this Rulebook, the phytosanitary inspection of the Ministry of Agriculture will also control fruits and vegetables imported from third countries for market standards, which are subject only to the general market standard. The new Rulebook also introduces a significant increase in the fee for inspection supervision and control of fruit and vegetable compliance with market standards upon import from third countries, which now amounts to 2,000 kuna (270 euros) for each inspection or control performed and for each individual type of fruit and vegetable. The fee paid by importers from third countries, including BiH, for inspection in Croatia before the adoption of the new Rulebook was 90 kuna (12 euros) and did not represent a significant burden for our exporters.

However, such an enormously high fee prescribed in the new Rulebook represents a burden that will significantly reduce the competitiveness of our exporters and call into question the export of a large number of fruit and vegetable crops to the Croatian market.

This is further complicated by the fact that the inspection is paid per type of fruit and vegetable, so a shipment containing multiple types is subject to a payment of 270 euros for each type of fruit. Based on all of the above, we believe that by introducing an unjustifiably high fee for the inspection of fruits and vegetables from third countries, the Republic of Croatia has introduced a type of non-tariff barrier in trade of these products towards third countries.

Furthermore, with this Rulebook, Croatia has clearly placed fruit and vegetable producers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the product from BiH itself, in an unequal position compared to producers and products in Croatia, thereby violating international trade obligations, as imports are discriminated against. We also note that the Republic of Croatia, as a member of the European Union, has committed to respecting the Stabilization and Association Agreement, and upon the entry into force of this Agreement, the Community and the signatory countries undertook to abolish export duties and charges with equivalent effect in mutual trade, as well as to abolish all quantitative export restrictions and measures with equivalent effect.

Given that it is clearly a matter of introducing non-tariff barriers by the Croatian competent institutions, as well as differential treatment of import and domestic producers and products, we request that measures and actions be taken to ensure the immediate repeal of the aforementioned disputed Rulebook.

We remain at your disposal for further information and consultations upon any request from the European Commission – states the letter from Minister Šarović, as announced by his office.