Serbia: Open Balkan initiative streamlines agricultural logistics

Published 2022년 1월 14일

Tridge summary

The Open Balkan initiative, involving Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia, aims to streamline agricultural trade by eliminating the need for trucks to wait at borders for phytosanitary and veterinary control. This initiative, highlighted by an agreement on cooperation in veterinary, phytosanitary, and food safety, has been in effect since January 3, 2022. The countries have harmonized documentation and procedures, leading to smoother border crossings for agricultural trucks. The agreement is expected to improve the supply of seasonal fruits and vegetables in the region. Additionally, the countries have signed agreements on free access to the labor market and an electronic system of citizen identification as part of the Open Balkan regional cooperation initiative.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

With the Open Balkan initiative, the main benefit for agriculture producers from Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia is that trucks will no longer have to wait at the borders due to phytosanitary and veterinary control. Within the initiative “Open Balkans”, the Agreement on cooperation in veterinary; phytosanitary; and food and animal feed safety in the Western Balkans was signed by the Ministers of Agriculture from Serbia and Albania and Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia in Tirana last December. The three countries have already harmonized all necessary documentation regarding phyto and veterinary certificates, procedures, lists of plant and animal diseases as well as laboratory analyses. Since January 3, 2022, trucks with agricultural products from those three countries have been passing the border control points without waiting. A special lane at border crossings for goods from the tree countries will be secured. One example of the agreement's benefits will be the ...

Source: Agroberichtenbuitenland