India and the Benelux have now reached an agreement on digital documents for, among others, food and vegetables. A pilot for the use of digital information will be conducted between the Indian and Dutch authorities. The results of this pilot can be used to extend the pilot to the other ports and airports outside the Netherlands.
Digital information makes it easier to perform a risk analysis on consignments before the goods arrive in a port or airport. This risk analysis enables the authorities to facilitate compliant traders in the Netherlands.
As we’ve also learnt from the EC-funded CORE project, the use of digital documents is one of the keys for more collaborative and resilient supply chains. The reuse of data in a supply chain is certainly not helped by paper-based documents. Especially in the food and agricultural sector, many paper-documents are still in place.
ESC is in frequent contact with the Benelux on digitalisation, transport, and international trade. We fully support this pilot and are convinced that this pilot will facilitate trade between India and the Benelux. India is one of the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and the potential of trade is still enormous. Trade between India and the Benelux grows with around 7% a year. In the Benelux 20.000 jobs depend on trade between India and the Benelux.