The final conference of the EU-funded Twinning Light project: “Support to enhancing of BiH export potential of agriculture and food products to the EU” was held on February 2 at the EU Delegation to BiH in Sarajevo.
The implementing EU Member State partner institution, State Food and Veterinary Service of the Republic of Lithuania, together with their lead beneficiary country partner institutions, Food Safety Agency of BiH and Veterinary Office of BiH, presented the results of the project.
Dr Renzo Daviddi, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH emphasised that this project has demonstrated how valuable and productive it is to directly transpose the EU expertise and experience into the BiH institutional and business environment.
“In only six months the project has proven possible to strengthen food and veterinary services and operations and improve the knowledge and operations of business operators in hygiene standards. More than 100 officials of competent authority institutions were trained in the official controls and acquainted with control check procedures. In addition, more than 70 business operators were familiarized with hygiene package standards,” Dr. Daviddi said.
The project has realised a series of trainings and practical courses for food business operators and competent authorities in BiH. These were aimed at improving capacities to meet the EU standards and requirements in export of BiH competitive agricultural and food products to the EU and contributing to further progress of BiH on its EU accession path.
Dr. Ljubomir Kalaba, Director of the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the EU needs guarantees that products exported to the EU meet standards and comply with EU legislation. “I hope all issues will be resolved, thus allowing the Laws on Food, on Veterinary and Agriculture to be amended through an emergency procedure,” said Dr. Kalaba.
Ermina Salkičević–Dizdarević, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, emphasised that she hopes that the project will help BiH producers to overcome difficulties and improve export capacities as soon as possible. The project was financed by the European Union under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA 2011) to the tune of 250 000 EUR.
The participants of the conference also led an interactive discussion on challenges and opportunities of BiH regarding needed improvements of its relevant management and control systems and alignment to EU standards in order to boost exports.
