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SARAJEVO, June 16 (FENA) - Members of the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Fisheries between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina exchanged information at today's video conference on the situation in the agricultural sector and measures taken to remedy the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They welcomed the progress made by the BiH Food Safety Agency, in cooperation with the competent entity ministries of agriculture, in the area of drafting a legislative framework for the protection of domestic geographical indications.
The members of the European Commission delegation were informed that a working group had been formed to draft a new BiH wine law, and the need to establish a new system for protection of geographical origin of wine was emphasized.
They discussed the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Rural Development of BiH 2018-2021, as well as the preparation of a national strategy for fisheries and aquaculture and harmonization of BiH legislation with EU regulations governing this area.
Co-chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Fisheries between BiH and the EU Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Dušan Nešković told FENA that BiH is interested in access to the European Union market and pre-accession funds, and it is important for the EU that products be of the best quality.
Members of the BiH delegation presented how much EU legislation has been taken over, which, according to Nešković, is an easier part of the job because the question remains how it will be implemented.
For example, he stated that if BiH wants to place its products in the EU, it is necessary to reach standards related to health protection, which is an expensive process and requires investments in equipment, manpower and technology to allow a food production facility export to the EU market.
These are all tasks that are being done jointly with the European Commission, which is assessing BiH in progress, bearing in mind that the common policy of the European Union in the field of agriculture is very broad and has developed structural instruments.
It is an expensive process, and almost half of the acquis communautaire of the European Union relates to agriculture, and in BiH this work is even more complicated due to the organization of the state and shared competencies.
“There is progress, but there are certain problems because not only is the technical problem controversial but there is also the issue of political agreement when it comes to EU accession in every area, including agriculture,” concluded Co-chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Fisheries Dušan Nešković in a statement to FENA.
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