Iron bars between Algeria and the European Union on Halal products. To ensure strict compliance with religious standards, Algeria is imposing new conditions on imports of Halal meat from the European Union. Conditions that Brussels does not like.
At the heart of the disagreement is Algeria’s decision to exclusively entrust the certification of halal products imported from the EU to the Grand Mosque of Paris. A requirement deemed unfavorable to products originating from the European Union, as reported by the Eunews news site on September 18.
This dispute over Halal stems from the decision taken at the end of 2023 by the Algerian authorities to impose new conditions on exports from the EU, by entrusting the Grand Mosque of Paris with the exclusivity of certification. Implemented at the end of 2023, this measure is strongly criticized by Brussels.
In response to a question on the subject submitted by MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said that “the European Commission has contacted the Algerian authorities on several occasions, expressing serious concerns about this measure and inviting them to reconsider it.”
According to the same source, the European Commission is aware of the “serious impacts” of this measure on “exports of agri-food products to Algeria”, as well as the economic repercussions that this has on products manufactured by EU countries.
Halal meat: EU criticizes measure taken by Algeria
“The Commission is making every effort to improve trade and investment relations with Algeria, which remain very difficult overall,” Dombrovskis continued.
The European executive, wishing to achieve its goals, plans to engage “at technical and political levels” to resolve all the problems that complicate the integration of European products into the Algerian market.
“The Commission considers that the introduction by Algeria, in June 2023, of the additional measure of Halal certification significantly hinders trade with the EU,” added the Trade Commissioner.
This outcry from the EU over the export of halal products to Algeria comes at a time when the Algerian spread El Mordjene, which is a huge success in France, has been banned from import by the French government. This measure was taken based on a European regulation that prohibits the import of products containing milk from Algeria.
It also comes three months after Brussels’ decision on June 14 to initiate “a dispute settlement procedure against Algeria.”
