27/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 26 July, the French minister for agriculture, Michel Barnier, appealed for a “European health shield” to be set up to, “guarantee the quality and safety of imported products”. Quoted by AFP, Barnier also affirmed that the European Union needed this protection without becoming a fortress: “We need to be clear about the quality and safety of imported products. We have to be sure that products arriving on the European market are guaranteed, which implies inspection work, verification through cooperation with exporter countries”. He also added that the EU should carry out “expert and advisory work” for these countries to help them improve their quality standards. (lc)