In order to ensure high standards of public health, plant and animal health and welfare, the European Union is applying measures relating to food "from field to fork" or to the entire food chain from food production, processing and distribution to consumers, as well as to the control of competent authorities. In this area, the Republic of Serbia should harmonize national rules with EU legislation in negotiating Chapter 12.
Within the project "Strengthening the capacity to harmonize the acquis in the field of agriculture, rural development, food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy" from 3 to 5 March 2021, a workshop was held aimed at representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and of Water Management (Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration, Veterinary Directorate, Directorate for Plant Protection, Sector for Agricultural Inspection and Sector for Legal and Normative Affairs) and the Department of Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of Health with project experts, work together on preparation of Strategy and Action Plan for its implementation. The workshop was held in Vrdnik, where 20 participants were present, while almost forty of them participated online. Through intensive work on the draft strategy, participants had the opportunity to exchange views, present ideas and make suggestions on the spot, so that the final document would give clear guidelines on harmonization of the legal framework with EU requirements and thus facilitate preparation for negotiations of the Republic of Serbia in the field of food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policies.
On the first day, participants discussed existing national legislation and the gradual transposition of EU regulations, as well as the development of administrative and financial capacity. The second day was dedicated to veterinary policy - internal market control systems, as well as import control, animal labelling, animal disease control measures, non-commercial movement of pets, animal welfare, and the topic was the crisis plan for animal infectious diseases. On the last day, the program included phytosanitary policy - plant health, plant protection products, seed quality and genetically modified organisms.
The Strategy is one of the most important documents for Chapter 12, because it defines the steps that the Republic of Serbia will take in order to harmonize with EU legislation and gives a clear picture of the current situation in the field of food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy.
