Taiwanese exports to the new members of the EU are now face stricter standards regarding quarantine, environmental protection and recycling.
In an effort to help Taiwanese companies gain a better understanding of the EU's import standards and regulations, two officials from the EU's health and industrial standards departments are slated to depart for Taiwan on Thursday at the invitation of the Taiwanese government.
They will take part in seminars to explain the EU's latest requirements on foreign imports of farm, vegetable, dairy and meat products as well as its recycling standards for electronics and electrical and chemical goods.
Wei Ker-ming (
Ten countries joined the EU on Saturday, eight of which are in eastern Europe. Taiwanese exports to all these countries are now subject to the EU's higher environmental requirements, a situation which Wei said favored Taiwan-made products over low-priced goods from China.
According to Wei, the EU imposes strict food quarantine and limits for chemical residuals, and enforces electronics product recycling and safety.
Since trade barriers among the 25 EU nations are now gone and the new members also have to conform to higher quality requirements, it is a top issue for Taiwanese exporters targeting the region's market to further step up their manufacturing processes and quality control, he said.
The EU last year detected chemical residues in some Taiwanese fish exports and rejected all fish shipments from Taiwan in the second half of the year.
At the same time, small ingredient packs that come with instant noodles will also come under stricter scrutiny by the EU out of fears of a reappearance of mad cow disease or foot-and-mouth disease.
The EU now has a population of about 450 million and has emerged as the world's largest common market.
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