Officials from the food authorities of Kosovo and Albania have agreed to facilitate the trade of food products between the two countries in accordance with the practices and standards of the European Union.
According to the Food and Veterinary Agency of Kosovo (AUV), Executive Director Bekim Hoxha hosted a meeting with Blerina Gjylameti, Director General of Albania’s National Food Authority.
The central focus of the meeting was reducing administrative barriers and simplifying trade procedures between the two countries.
Discussions included updating food certificates according to the latest EU models, coordinating procedures for tracking and handling Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications, prior mutual notification for re-exported products, and cooperation in strengthening laboratory capacities and recognizing analysis results.
Bekim Hoxha highlighted the progress achieved through cooperation between the two countries in the field of food control and emphasized the importance of facilitating food trade while maintaining public health standards for consumers on both sides of the border.
He also stated that the Food and Veterinary Agency of Kosovo is nearing full digitalization of its services and inspections, with the process currently reaching around 90 percent completion.
According to the agency, the reforms are being modeled on the practices of EU member states.
The meeting also focused on harmonizing procedures for food safety controls and aligning them with European standards, as Albania continues implementing reforms related to its EU accession process.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and support one another in fulfilling European Union criteria in the field of food safety.
Officials further stated that Kosovo would support Albania in areas where Kosovo currently has stronger implementation of EU standards, while Albania is expected to become a reference point for Kosovo in later stages of the EU integration process once Kosovo advances toward membership negotiations.
