By: Nevena Šarenac
In the framework of the EU “Parliament for Europe”, members of the Commission for European Integration of the BiH Parliament, RS National Assembly, FBiH Parliament and the Brčko District Assembly spoke today in Sarajevo on food safety and all topics relevant to BiH consumers and food producers in the context of Croatia’s accession to the EU.
Special attention was given to measures that have to be taken in order to facilitate the placement of BIH products on the EU market.
At the meeting held at the EU delegation to BiH, it was announced that all competent BiH authorities, RS, FBiH and Brčko District have done a lot on the harmonization of regulations for food safety with the regulations and EU standards, but that this process has not yet completed.
The Head of the Department of Economic Development, Natural Resources and Infrastructure in the EU Delegation to BiH Martin Schieder noted that the different levels of government in BiH have still not ended the tedious process of harmonization of legislation and the establishment of appropriate administrative structures when it comes to exporting food to the EU.
He also said that the BiH Council of Ministers and entity governments have to show maximum commitment with the goal to resolve all other issues.
Schieder praised the progress of BiH authorities over the past few months, firstly in the adoption of hygienic packages, ordinance-approving facilities for food exports to EU markets and the approval of a plan for the monitoring and control of residues of certain products from the European Commission.
The Director of the BiH Agency for Food Safety Sejad Mačkić recalled that this agency, in cooperation with the relevant institutions in BiH, RS, FBiH and the Brčko District, from mid-2006 until now has harmonized a large part of its legislation regarding food safety with EU standards and regulations.
“The reports of inspection bodies shows that these regulations, which are variable, apply’’, said Mačkić.
According to the Director of the BiH Veterinary Office Ljubomir Kalabe, BiH has until now met the necessary requirements for export to the EU for fish, products from fish and honey, and soon it can expect to meet the requirements for the export of milk, poultry, poultry meat and eggs.
The Director of the BiH Institute for the Protection of Plant Health Radenko Radović said that this institution is doing everything for BiH to regulate the use of pesticides.
“We are trying to work together with the entity ministries and inspectors to close the system so that the consequences of the improper use of pesticides would reduce and to ultimately eliminate the improper use of pesticides’’, said Radović.
