Assagenti News

New procedures for phytosanitary checks

With the aim of meeting needs to speed up checks on goods, the ADSP Port Authority for the Western Ligurian Sea, Spediporto and Confindustria Terminal Operators, in conjunction with the Phytosanitary Department of the Region of Liguria, have approved a protocol for a precise schedule of inspections for agri-food products unloaded in Genoa’s Terminals, in order to ensure that all checks have been conducted by the end of the day.
This new procedure, which improves the level of information exchanged by operators and the authorities, will provided a guaranteed schedule for checks conducted on thousands of containers per year. This will also be made possible by a double operating shift which, in addition to terminal operators and shippers, will also involve staff at the Phytosanitary institute.
As a result, it will be possible to improve the quality of the checks, reduce the time taken and the costs on goods.
The Chairman of Spediporto, Alessandro Pitto, stresses that “At this particularly difficult time, presenting a procedure which provides crucial support to one of Genoa’s most strategic goods assets is a major success for goods and for our port as a whole.”
An important role will be played by the Phytosanitary Administration which, given the issues that have arisen in the wake of major new flows of agri-food products, has identified an operating model in conjunction with Terminal Operators and Shippers geared towards improving the time taken to check and inspect goods.
This sizeable undertaking has been made even more urgent by the collapse of the Morandi bridge. With effect from 10 September, it will see phytosanitary personnel engaging in a complex administrative situation.
Genoa will be getting back on track thanks to a simplification of procedures, which will also result in a considerable reduction in movements from one port basin to another. In the past this involved the movement of officials. At present this is impossible or, at best, highly complex.
The Chairman of Assagenti Alberto Banchero commented: “The new protocol puts the principles of rationalising checks and movements and defending the market and employment into practice. Genoa is not stopping.”
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