The work of the programme areas
The animal product operators' levies relate to 3 important programme areas:
- New Zealand standards
- Export standards
- Overseas market access.
The work of these programme areas supports the development and maintenance of the regulatory regime for operators under the APA. This includes:
- the setting of food safety, export and related standards
- specifications and guidance material that animal product operators must comply with under their Risk Management Programmes (RMPs), Regulated Control Schemes (RCSs) and Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs)
- the development and maintenance of standards and systems necessary to support the regulatory regime such as verification, approvals, official assurances, monitoring and review.
The programmes provide for safe food and overseas market access. Operators are the primary users and beneficiaries of these programmes. Therefore Government policy is to recover the cost of this work directly from APA operators. Further information on the 3 main programme areas is provided below.
New Zealand standards programme
MPI develops and implements, evaluates and reviews safety standards for production, processing, transportation, storage and sale of food and food-related products in New Zealand. This includes the following activities which are supplied to the many animal products operators covered under the APA:
- setting safety standards that operators with an RMP or RCS are required to meet
- developing guidance material for the different industry sectors which assists them to comply with safety standards
- setting verification requirements to ensure that safety standards are met
- reviewing and monitoring compliance with standards specifically set for the different sectors of the animal products industry
- developing and managing residue monitoring programmes for domestic market industry sectors, such as the meat and poultry sectors.
Export standards programme
Under this programme, MPI:
- develops and implements systems and processes for the export of food and food-related products
- develops and implements verification standards and processes for export requirements
- manages official assurances for animal products exports
- develops and manages residue monitoring programmes necessary to meet market access requirements, assure the New Zealand Government that the requirements have been met and to safeguard New Zealand’s official assurances.
Market access programme
Under market access services, MPI negotiates market access conditions and establishes certification requirements with the relevant authorities of countries which are importing New Zealand’s animal products. This includes managing bilateral agreements, trading-partner relationships and equivalency negotiations.
The market access programme also provides strategic and operational input into the export standard programme, as it affects trade and MPI’s bilateral relationships.
