In late May 2026, operators, regulators and experts came together in South Africa around a shared goal: helping agri-food exporters better anticipate European Union (EU) requirements. Discussions focused on two complementary areas — access to regulatory information and the new EU packaging rules.
ePing national workshop
A national workshop on the ePing SPS & TBT platform was held in Pretoria from 25 to 27 May. On this occasion, Axelle Rupert, EU Policy and Regulations Expert, presented how AGRINFO complements ePing by helping users monitor, understand and anticipate EU regulatory developments affecting agri-food trade. ePing is a free online platform that enables users to track sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) notifications, access information documents and engage with regulators before new requirements enter into force. By improving access to information and facilitating dialogue, ePing helps exporters better prepare for regulatory changes and reduce compliance risks.
The workshop was organised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of the project Improving the use of the ePing SPS&TBT Platform to enhance transparency for market access. Funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), this project aims to improve the ePing user experience through technological enhancements to the platform and new capacity-building approaches.
New EU packaging requirements under discussion
Discussions then turned to the implications of new EU packaging legislation for South African agri-food exporters, in particular the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, which will begin to apply from July and August 2026 respectively. The discussions brought together agri-food exporters, packhouses, recycling organisations and government representatives, providing valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges that South African agri-food value chains may face in adapting to the new requirements.
AGRINFO also presented its ongoing work on EU packaging legislation and shared available resources designed to help operators better understand and prepare for the requirements. Stakeholders expressed strong interest in AGRINFO's activities, including a proposed impact study on EU packaging requirements in South Africa, which would build on and complement an earlier impact study conducted in Ghana.
AGRINFO will continue to share updates and analysis on EU packaging requirements through the AGRINFO platform and its newsletter.
Feedback and questions can be sent to agrinfo@colead.link.
This activity is supported by the AGRINFO programme, implemented by COLEAD and funded by the European Union (EU). This publication receives financial support from the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.