Agri-food operators of Moldova trained on new European requirements for official controls in sector

The National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) on September 18 organized a meeting with representatives of authorities, operators in the agri-food sector and international experts, in order to present the new European Union requirements regarding official controls, introduced through Law No. 82/2024.

The participants in the meeting discussed the applicable European standards in slaughterhouses, meat and fish production, verification of dairy products, eggs and mollusks, the use of pharmacological substances in animal husbandry, as well as the new border control procedures for animal-origin food products.

Cristian Duicu, an international technical expert from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), emphasized that the correct transposition of European legislation ensured safe, high-quality and accessible products for external markets:

“It is essential for the private sector to be informed in due time, in order to adapt the production and verification processes,” said Cristian Duicu.

For his part, Alexandr Manciu, deputy general director of ANSA, said that the harmonization with EU standards represented a major opportunity for exporters.

“Knowledge of the new legislative provisions will allow Moldovan producers to meet European standards and access a market of more than 500 million consumers. The event is interactive and aims to clarify the areas in which operators need to strengthen their capacities by 2028,” the ANSA head said.

At the same time, a UNIDO international expert, Monica Maria Cojanu, presented the relevant regulations, including Regulation (EU) No. 625/2017, and local draft normative acts developed in collaboration with UNIDO experts. She answered participants’ questions on the practical enforcement of the new rules in slaughterhouses, the meat and fish industry, milk processing and border controls.

The discussions highlighted both the challenges and opportunities generated by the implementation of European legislation, emphasizing the positive impact on food safety and the sustainable development of the business environment.

The event was organized within the project titled, Improving Compliance with Standards by Increasing National Residue Monitoring Capacities, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in partnership with ANSA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. According to the organizers, this initiative strengthens the preparation of Moldova’s agri-food sector for alignment with European standards, supporting consumers’ safety and the competitiveness of Moldovan products on external markets.