Market access. Another important measure to improve our competitive position is to promote open and free trade in both crop inputs and outputs. On the input side, we remain very concerned about our inability to access crop protection products registered in other countries that are chemically equivalent to products registered in Canada. The GROU program was intended to improve access to imported chemicals; however, the approval process at the PMRA has been slow, with many equivalent products not yet being authorized for import.
The Wheat Growers respect intellectual property rights, so we were not suggesting that we have access to products that are not equivalent to products registered here. What we are suggesting is that the minor formulation and label differences often hold up approvals. We need a regulatory system that facilitates the free trade in chemicals, not the one that imposes artificial barriers. We ask your committee to ensure that cross-border approval processes are harmonized to the greatest extent possible so that farmers on both sides of the border have access to crop protection products on equal footing.
With respect to international trade, the Wheat Growers remain deeply disappointed at the ongoing failure of world trade talks to reach an agreement that would improve market access for farmers who are depending on export markets for a significant portion of their income. The lack of market access, particularly for processed grain products, lowers our farm gate returns. With talks expected to return later this year, we ask the Canadian government to promote freer trade as a means to increase prosperity, not only here at home but throughout the world. The recent introduction of COOL regulations in the U.S. reinforces the need for Canada to take a strong stance against protectionism in all of its various forms.
We support the federal government's efforts and success in striking bilateral trade deals. In particular, we see the committee's support of the proposed Canada-EU agreement. Currently, we face significant tariff and non-tariff barriers for our grain and processed grain products into Europe. This is especially the case for wheat. To improve our competitive position, we ask you to ensure our negotiators obtain better access into this important market.