On November 10, 2015, the European Commission announced that technical amendments to the EU–New Zealand Agreement on sanitary measures in live animals and animal products have recently been made with the aim of boosting existing trade relations. Some of the new key features consists of (i) enhancing equivalence provisions including EU standards for raw milk products, (ii) mutual recognition of microbiological controls and chemical testing standards for seafood, (iii) establishing trade conditions to permit trade during disease outbreaks, (iv) reducing physical inspection rates on products, (v) resuming fresh pig meat exports to New Zealand, and (vi) simplifying certification requirements and moving to electronic certification in 2016. It is hoped that the amendments to the veterinary agreement will lead to further trade opportunities while reducing costs for exporters.
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