European Code Of Good Trading Practice (GTP)

Version of the 1st September 2003

Click on the link to download the pdf version

COCERAL LAUNCHED THE FIRST COMMON EUROPEAN CODE OF GOOD TRADING PRACTICE.

The main objectives of the COCERAL GTP code are transparency and commonality.

-- By disclosing their activities in the food and feed chain operators in agricultural trade demonstrate awareness of their responsibilities with regard to food safety and consumer health and the readiness to assume them. The European GTP is conceived as a modular part of a quality management system covering the whole food and feed chain which should rebuild and maintain consumer confidence. The relevant codes of good practices for other activities should be elaborated by the operators active in the respective fields.

-- Traders are particularly aware of the importance of common rules in an enlarging Single Market. Codes of good practices are currently proliferating endangering the free movement of goods by creating potential non-tariff barriers to trade and confusion amongst operators and consumers. Therefore, COCERAL endorsed the idea of one single code for operators in the European Union.

The main principles of the European GTP code are its voluntary nature, verification and certification by independent third parties and a quality management in accordance with the HACCP principle.