The Philippines ranks high globally in meat consumption and imports meat to meet its demand. To protect public health, the country has developed regulations for the safe consumption of meat. However, two specific regulations (meat labelling and microbial specifications) have been identified as potentially problematic. If these regulations are implemented in an overly burdensome or inconsistent manner, they could hinder meat trade.
The proposed project aims to increase and diversify the safe trade (imports) of meat and meat products in the Philippines by applying Good Regulatory Practices (GRPs). GRPs are processes and tools designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, ensuring they protect human, animal, or plant life or health without creating unnecessary trade barriers. The project's purpose is to pilot the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Policy Instrument in the meat sector and draw lessons to update the RIA Policy Instrument for all regulations in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.