The role played by veterinarians at Border Control Posts (BCPs) has proven to be essential for the success of Spain’s agri-food and fishery exports. According to Felipe Vilas, president of the Official College of Veterinarians of Madrid (COLVEMA), their work is crucial to ensure the safety, quality, and healthiness of food products entering and leaving the country. This effort has contributed to Spain positioning itself as the fourth largest exporter of agri-food and fishery products in the European Union and the seventh globally.
Since 2014, Spanish exports of these products have steadily grown, reaching a record figure of 70.431 billion euros in 2023, representing an 80.2% increase over the past ten years. Spain’s consolidation as one of the world leaders in food exports highlights the importance of veterinarians and their technical-professional competence at border controls.
The unified system recently established is based on the legislative Order PIC/756/2024 of July 22. This new approach has created a single inspection team that operates in an integrated manner, improving coordination and eliminating duplicities among the official departments that previously worked in isolation. This measure aims to optimize the use of knowledge and experience of all inspectors involved in the process.
Ana Rodríguez Castaño, Secretary General of Agricultural Resources and Food Safety at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA), emphasizes that this unified approach at border controls is vital to ensure consumer protection and further promote the internationalization of the Spanish agri-food sector. The combination of efforts and knowledge makes controls more comprehensive and effective, ensuring compliance with European Union legislation.
In a challenging global context with trends towards deglobalization due to the current geopolitical crisis, the role of veterinarians stands out as essential to maintain the quality and safety of products exported from Spain. This work not only protects the final consumer, but also strengthens the country’s reputation and competitiveness in the competitive international market of agri-food and fishery products.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
