EU Commission monitors food safety progress in Western Balkans

The European Commission has looked at progress in the food safety systems of four countries in the Western Balkans that are trying to become EU member states. The reports cover many areas and developments in the past year in Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European Commission also assessed food safety progress made by Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey. For Montenegro, an analysis found progress was made in agriculture, food and fisheries, so the focus should now be on areas including upgrading food establishments and food safety controls. Updating sites for products and by-products of animal origin continued. Some 68 plants producing food of animal origin are compliant with EU regulations and 15 of them have been licensed to export to the region. The first establishment for goat milk processing and a major fishery products processor with 19 facilities joined the EU list in 2020. Strengthening administrative and inspection capacity and related ...