2
INFO LETTER
Fruit, vegetables and potatoes
|
Issue: 01/2013
Quality Assurance.
From farm to shop.
LOGISTICS STANDARD
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Approved plant protection products are
o en cheaper in other EU countries than
they are in Germany, which means it is
o en an attractive option to buy them
abroad and then use or re-sell them in
Germany. This kind of “parallel trading” is
generally permitted; a new flyer outlines
the details.
Traders and producers who import plant pro-
tection products for their own use need a
permit from the Federal O ce of Consumer
Protection and Food Safety (BVL) for the prod-
uct in question. This ensures that the quali-
ty of the imported plant protection product
corresponds to that of the reference product
approved in Germany. Sanctions may be im-
posed if this is not the case. Quite apart from
this, the use of unsuitable plant protection
products can also result in harvesting loss-
es, inadmissible residues in the harvested
product, recall measures and delivery bans.
Generic plant protection products that are
not approved in an EU member state are not
considered parallel imports and may not be
marketed or used without approval.
The flyer “Würden Sie das Ihren Pflanzen
geben?” (Would you give it to your plants?),
jointly published by the BVL, the German Raif-
feisen Association (DRV), the Federal Associ-
ation of the Agricultural Sector (BVA) and the
North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agricul-
ture (LWK NRW) provides detailed information
on illegal plant protection products and the
risks and side-e ects. You can nd the flyer at
www.q-s.de
in the media center.
INFORMATION FLYER
CONDITIONS FOR PARALLEL IMPORTS OF PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS
Four steps to scheme
participation:
1
Registration in the QS database
at
www.qs-plattform.de
2
Choice of a certification body
which
organises participation in the QS scheme
3
Signing of a declaration of
participation and authorisation
4
a.
For logistics companies
with
IFS certificate: entry of the certificate
duration and the registration number
of the IFS Logistics Certificate
b.
For logistics companies
without
IFS certificate: performance of an
independent audit. The certification
body makes the arrangements for
the audit
As of 1 January 2013, a QS standard is in place
for logistics in connection with fresh fruit and
vegetables, and transport companies can apply
for certi cation based on this standard. The
rst agreements with freight forwarders have
already been signed, and logistics coordinators
are also already registered. The following FAQs
provide more detailed information.
What are the advantages of the QS standard?
It is a lean and practicable standard outlining
tailored requirements that cover all relevant
activities during transport and in the transship-
ment warehouse. Auditors from independent
certi cation bodies review and document com-
pliance with all the criteria of the guideline. This
sends an important signal to all customers.
Who is the standard designed for?
For transport companies who logistically han-
dle – in other words transport, ship, load and
unload and temporarily store – fresh fruit, vege-
tables and potatoes including processed goods
(
e.g. fresh-cut produce). Companies who also
package and/or process goods are wholesalers
under the QS de nition.
What are the focal points of the standard?
In the Logistics Standard, QS focuses on product
traceability and hygiene. One of the things that is
required, for example, is regular hygiene training
for all those who come into contact with products.
Does this mean that only certi ed transport
companies are allowed to deliver fruit & veg-
etables in the QS-System?
This should be the case from 2015. Until then,
there is a transition period during which partic-
ipation is optional. Agricultural transports are
excepted from this provision.
How does registration work?
Registration is in the database at
www.qs-plat
-
tform.de
,
where the freight forwarder selects
the “Wholesale/Logistics Fruit, Vegetables, Po-
tatoes” stage under the menu item “New reg-
istration”. During the further course of the reg-
istration process, freight forwarders can decide
whether they want to be certi ed according to
the QS Logistics Standard or – where it is avail-
able – they want to participate on the basis of
their IFS Logistics Certi cate.
Are there any particular factors that companies
who want to register need to pay attention to?
Freight forwarders can decide whether they
want system participation to be arranged by
a certi cation body or a logistics coordinator.
This entails the commissioning/performance of
an independent audit as well as a contractual
agreement on participation in the QS scheme.
Do transport companies with IFS Logistics
Certi cate also need QS certi cation?
No. Dual certi cation is avoided: freight forward-
ers holding an IFS Logistics Certi cate can par-
ticipate in the QS scheme without any additional
certi cation. All they need to do is register via the
database and sign a contractual agreement with
a logistics coordinator on scheme participation.
What is a logistics coordinator?
A logistics coordinator performs certain tasks
in the area of scheme participation, such as
organisation of the QS logistics audit at the
freight forwarder. If participation is based on an
IFS Logistics Certi cate, the coordinator enters
the certi cate duration in the database. The co-
ordinator is also the point of contact for freight
forwarders in matters relating to QS and can,
for example, be a consulting rm, association
or producers’ organisation. We have published
an updated list of QS-approved logistics coordi-
nators for fruit, vegetables and potatoes in the
download section of our website.