On August 9, the EU decided to simplify export procedures for hazelnuts exported from Georgia. In particular, examination frequency for Georgian hazelnuts are going to be reduced from 50% to 20%. The decision will come into force on the twentieth day of its publication.
The decision was made by the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF), which is a part of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission.
According to the EU, the underlying factors of the aforementioned decision are the measures taken by Georgia to avoid aflatoxin contamination and, therefore, to comply with the EU requirements.
According to the head of the National Food Agency of Georgia, Zurab Chakurashvili, the EU’s decision indicates the increased trust towards the quality of Georgian hazelnuts and effective government control policies.
In 2020 Georgia exported 18, 000 tonnes of hazelnuts (34% more than in 2019), according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia. Out of it, 12, 900 tonnes were exported to the EU (59% more than in 2019).