Serbia: Open Balkan initiative streamlines agricultural logistics

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 ...