Two major innovations will be introduced in TRACES by the end of the year:

• The transfer in Traces New Technology (TNT) of the border control module for plants and the export certification module for plants for third countries and some overseas regions of Member States.
  The interface and additional guarantees as well as the latest tests are expected to be finalised shortly, enabling the two modules to be launched in October 2017. The current users of the control module will be individually informed so that they can connect to the TNT. But it is to be hoped that the current 11 countries already using TNT will soon be joined by other Member States before the legal obligation of 14 December 2019.
• Provision of a qualified electronic signature module in accordance with Regulation (EU) 910/2014 on electronic transactions.
  Indeed, the company that will act as trusted third party in the framework of the provision and recognition of electronic signatures has been selected following the call to tender. The implementation of this module should be effective by the end of the year and will allow the launching of a pilot phase in both TRACES and TNT.

I would like to remind you that the use of the certification module for biological products of TRACES is compulsory from 19 October in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1842.

I leave you now read this new newsletter, which will also be available in Spanish, in which you will preview the TRACES annual report and infographics summarising the general activity of the system in 2016 and the extension of TRACES users with the participation of Albania, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Versions 2.6.0, 2.6.3 and 2.6.4 were installed on 4 July, 5 September and 26 September respectively.

Version 2.6.0 introduces a major change with the possibility for an exporter, located in a third country, to initiate a COI in the same way as an importer located in the Union.

Version 2.6.3 corrects minor malfunctions and introduces new features in the TNT Documentation accessible to users: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/a_home/home.htm

Version 2.6.4 will allow Control Authorities in countries listed under Annex III of Regulation (EU) No 1842/2016 to issue COI with the same operator indicated as Exporter and Producer and specifying a Control Body of the producer that is different from the Issuing Body.

The new features of the TNT documentation website:  

• Glossary A list of acronyms and abbreviations used in the TRACES and TNT nomenclature can be consulted via the menu. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/glossary.htm

• What's new ?
  You can now check the record of changes to the system itself. This page includes not only the latest changes to the last release of the system, but also keeps all previous changes. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/a_home/what-s-new.htm

• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
  The traditional topic of the most frequent questions is an indispensable tool for all TRACES user. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/faqs.htm

• Web Services
  It is now possible to request access to the "Web service" of TRACES via the user profile, a "Web service access" box has been added to the user profile. More precise technical information is available via this cartridge.

• COI
  • COI
    The documentation for the organic certificate has been updated. A new section "Create a Means of Transport" has been added as well as a sub-section entitled "Release in Batches" under the heading "Approve a new COI". https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/e_coi/i.%20how%20to%20create%20a%20new%20coi%20.htm
  • Organic Certificate, guided tour of the user
    A guided tour of the COI user is available via the home page of the online Documentation: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/help/general/content/a_home/home.htm

• TRACES support (sante-traces@ec.europa.eu)
  TRACES support, which can be accessed at the e-mail address sante-traces@ec.europa.eu, is available to users for technical questions related to the COI.

Version 6.36 was installed in production environment on 18 July. Please read the release note containing improvements and modifications to this release.

This version includes the following main aspects:

• Animal welfare: the trailer as a means of transport is individualised and a second means of transport may be introduced in case of transhipment. Checkpoints and responsible authorities shall be notified of the passage of animals
• Acknowledgment: this option has been added in the INTRA for economic operators
• Export of animal protein: in accordance with Regulation 893/2017 Section E, BIPs may introduce their control into a DOCOM
• Export and certificate model: the country of destination may only be the model country.

A working group on the Plant Export Certification Module (PHYTO) was held on 7 June in Brussels with Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Switzerland and France. Morocco was unable to attend the event.

Another working group on the Plant Import Control Module (CHED-PP) was held the following day 8 June with the 3 previous third countries and all current users of the TRACES module (Spain, Estonia, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland (Austria was unable to attend)).
These two days allowed us to test the new PHYTO and CHED-PP modules of the TNT, together with their interrelations and using examples of imports and real checks. All remarks made by the participants are taken into account to correct the anomalies observed and to improve the ergonomics of TNT.

A working group on controls of veterinary imports was held on 24 April. It allowed us among other things to finalize the CVED-A and the CVED-P which will be presented for voting. View the report.

An analysis of the needs expressed by Sweden and Denmark in terms of quality control of fruit and vegetables on importation took place on 20 June in Helsingborg. We are studying the development of a module in TNT covering its aspects in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011.

Following the call for tenders and the selection of AESA as the organiser of training workshops on the use of TRACES by EU Member States, the program and calendar of the 16 training workshops are available here. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that only applications sent by the national contact point are taken into consideration.

The infographics of the activity in TRACES in 2016 is available in electronic format in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Printed copies are available upon request.

The activity annual report in TRACES in 2016 is now available in electronic format in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.

Do not hesitate to send us your comments on these documents and to share these reports on social networks!

The General Director of ONSSA (National Office of Sanitary Safety of Food Products of Morocco) following a meeting held on July 20 confirmed to us in writing his decision to experiment with the module PHYTO of TNT for tomato exports to the EU.

The Director of Plant Protection of Ivory Coast also confirmed his willingness to use TNT for plant exports.

Costa Rica and Ecuador have also expressed their willingness to test in real conditions the PHYTO module.

These experiments should start from November after the training of certifiers at TNT.

Moldova has assessed that the export certificates of products and animals toward its country to be as the import certificates within the EU. In accordance with the wish of the health agency (Agenţia Naţională pentru Siguranţa Alimentelor) all these certificates have been transposed as export certificates to Moldova and can be used by the Member States in TRACES. Moldova also imposed to the Member States the use of TRACES for the issuance of these certificates.

The pilot project started in October 2016 was extended to include exports of bovine semen and porcine semen on 26 July 2017. Despite the multiple extensions, only 4 Member States (Italy, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary) are participating in this pilot project, even though the advantages of using TRACES (Certificates issued by TRACES do not need to be printed on security paper and the Member States using them do not need to send blank copies of these models).

Even if approaches have been taken by several Member States, there are still only the same 5 countries (Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy) using BOVEX. During the first semester, of the 27,231 consignments, there were 780,000 cattle that were marketed, 740,000 passports were exchanged and 660,000 passports were electronically integrated into national databases; whether 90%.

Pending the implementation of the electronic signature module in TRACES and TNT and the launching of a pilot project on the dematerialisation of certificates with Morocco and other countries, a questionnaire on the impact of the introduction of dematerialisation at the border inspection posts will be launched very soon through TRACES.
I would invite all BIP officials and freight forwarders to complete this questionnaire when published online.

Following the TAIEX workshop held in Tirana from 18 to 21 April, the National Food Authority (NFA / AKU: Autoriteti Kombëtar i Ushqimit) has started using TRACES with its first certificate already on 19 April 2017.

With Albania all Member States of the Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA) use TRACES except Montenegro.

Following the training organised by the European Union which took place in Riyadh on 12 and 13 March 2017, the Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) began using TRACES by issuing its first certificate on 4 June 2017.

Following the training organised by the European Union which took place in Dubai on 9 and 10 March 2017, the MoCCaE (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) began using TRACES by issuing its first certificate on 13 July 2017.

With Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two countries of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) started using TRACES. The use by other members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar would also allow the implementation of TRACES at a regional level.

Following the BTSF training which took place in Negombo from 15 to 19 August 2016, DFAR (Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) began using TRACES by issuing its first certificate on 14 July 2017.

Sri Lanka, a member of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), joined the Maldives and Bangladesh. Waiting for India, the 5^th largest exporter of fishery products and Pakistan.

Publication of EXPORT certificate templates on CIRCABC of:

• Milk Products for Peru (on 02/05/2017)
• Bovine-Ova in vivo derived embryos for Chile (on 02/05/2017)
• Bovine Meat for Chile (on 29/04/2016)
• Equidae for definitive import for Chile (on 13/04/2017)
• Blood products for Chile (on 13/04/2017)

All the EXPORT certificates are now accessible via the CIRCABC website. To be automatically notified of any modification of this list please follow the instructions of the user guide.

A training session for the inspectors of the Albanian Food Agency (NFA: Autoriteti Kombëtar i Ushqimit) in charge of export certification and import control of all foodstuffs and of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Management in charge of export certification of live animals and by-products was organized by TAIEX from 18 to 21 April. This session followed a first training session organised in July 2014.

12 veterinary units and 14 border inspection posts have been established and 15 border inspectors, 13 AKU export certifiers, 2 AKU supervisors and 12 economic operators representing 10 companies have been trained. Under the impulse of the new general manager, the use of TRACES began on 19 April.

As part of the gradual lifting of the sanctions imposed on Iran since 2003 following the signature of the Vienna agreement between Iran and the 'P5 + 1' (United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom and Germany) on 14 July 2015, a training workshop was organised in Tehran from 8 to 11 May for Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) certifiers and export companies. 20 people from IVO (12 certifiers from 11 provinces, 8 from the central level) and 18 representatives from exporting companies were trained. The 32 administrative provinces of Iran were created in TRACES.

A training workshop for Member States on the border control module for animals, foodstuffs and animal feed organised under the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) Program was held in Vilnius from 13 to 16 June. 23 Member States ( Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden) and two third countries (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) participated.

The most critical Member States request is the removal of duplicates in TRACES. They would also like some reference data (animal species, postal codes) to be updated, the categories of samples to be identical to those of RASFF, the activity type for 'animal by-product carrier' should be created only in case of transhipment, the first BIP can complete only the documentary part and that the second transitair can be notified, have access to the CVED and initiate the second CVED, make available an alternative website in case of TRACES unavailability to have the necessary path to follow and required certificates, to add national requirements for "non-harmonised" products into the help to decision tab.

A training workshop for Member States on the TNT plant border control module organised under the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) Program was held in Marseille from 4 to 7 July. 9 Member States (Spain, Estonia, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Slovakia) participated, an EFTA Member State (Switzerland) and three third countries (Ivory Coast, Costa Rica and Morocco).

The workshop concerned exclusively  the TNT and revealed some corrections to be made (additional superfluous guarantees, random difficulty of addition of goods, absence of integration of the attachments in case of replacement, elastic research not generalised) and to register specific applications (wood packaging and species (hardwood and conifer) and description of packaged goods, integration of transitairs in PHYTO, search by transitairs for PHYTO, selection of a second transitair in case of transhipment, transfer of transitair users  from TRACES to TNT).

* source: TRACES

Europe: 28 Member States of the EU, 4 EFTA countries, Albania, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Faeroe Islands, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo (¹), Moldavia, Saint-Marin, Serbia.
Africa: South Africa, Algeria, Cap-Verde, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Maurice, Mauritania, Uganda, Senegal, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Tunisia
America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, the Falklands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Uruguay.
Asia: Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Israel, Myanmar, Maldives, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.
Oceania: Australia, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia, Republic of Fiji.

¹ - This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Are you an economic operator trading within the European Union? Or a competent authority? Visit the TRACES website for more information or visit the TRACES Toolkit to have access to all users' manuals, video and templates.

Don't hesitate to contact the TRACES Helpdesk for any question.