Australian meat export certification changes
A new export certification system for Australian meat, announced this week by Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig, comes into effect on 1 October 2011.
The new system is a co-regulatory arrangement between the industry and government and is known as the Australian Export Meat Inspection System (AEMIS). The Federal Government is subsidizing the introduction of the new system with A$25.8 million over three years but the meat industry must bear the full cost from 2013.
Minister Ludwig claimed, “The new system will cut red tape and support regional jobs. Export certification gives assurance to our producers and trading partners that hygiene and quarantine standards are met.
“The export meat processing sector supports over 10,000 jobs in regional communities all over Australia. The Australian Government has been working with the sector since December 2009 to slash red tape and reduce the cost of the certification process,” he said.
The legislative instruments to support the new certification system along with the new fees and charges will be tabled in the Federal Parliament in the coming weeks.
Minister Ludwig claims, “The changes give businesses greater flexibility in how staff are deployed when not undertaking export inspection work, reward good performance, and focus regulatory resources on risk areas.”
