TIRANA, April 26/ATA/ In context of the EU-funded AENOR project, there was held in Tirana the first meeting with the EU’s Chief Officers on Plant Health (COPHs) for the 6 countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia). Albania chaired the meeting in the quality of the president.
Besides the international experts, attending the meeting was the representative of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) Roman Vagner.
This meeting aimed to promote cross-border cooperation for the protection of plant health, harmonized with the standards and criteria of EU legislation and the International Plant Protection Convention.
After discussions and recommendations from the COPHs, the representatives of the respective countries agreed on the terms of reference on how the COPHs will continue to function even after the end of the project.
It was also agreed to set up “Focus Groups” for legislation, pest control and laboratories.
COPH will continue to hold meetings twice a year with representatives of all the countries of the Western Balkans. /r.e/p.s./
