Skopje, 3 January 2022 (MIA) – The Agreement on cooperation in veterinary medicine, food safety and phytosanitary policy, signed as part of the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative, has come into effect. In line with the agreement, customs procedures have been simplified which has facilitated the transport of food. “The ‘Open Balkan’ initiative, as part of which an Agreement on cooperation in veterinary medicine, food safety and phytosanitary policy was signed between Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia in December last year, is already a reality that provides easier access and simpler customs procedures, reduced number of physical controls and lab tests when importing food, animals, animal feed, plants and other products,” Food and Veterinary Agency director Nikolche Babovski told MIA. He added that in order to facilitate trade between the three countries, as well as the flow of goods, only documentation control is carried out during import at border crossings on the basis of the agreement, whereas physical inspection is carried out at the place of unloading  or at customs terminals. In addition, the three countries have exchanged each other’s monitoring plans for food safety and animal health, in order to have insight into each country’s food safety level and an alignment of national legislation with EU legislation in the areas subject to the agreement. “The agreement is formulated on boosting cooperation based on established EU standards and recognition of results from conducted lab analyses with accredited methods as a basis for trade facilitation and development of the economies in the three countries. It is a basis and a real introduction into the activities in this area we need to undertake as countries in terms of accession in the European Union,” said Babovski.