TIRANA, December 22/ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama stated today that the Albanian government is undertaking a series of essential reforms to prepare the agricultural sector for membership in the European Union, by building an integrated system of administration, control and standards in accordance with the EU requirements.
During the activity “With Farmers in Albania 2030”, where there were presented the practical mechanisms for step-by-step preparation towards the EU, PM Rama emphasized that the government has started and will complete the construction of the institutional and technical infrastructure that the sector requires.
“We will create an integrated system of administration and control. We will finalize the national registers of farms, plots and animals. It is a work that has been started and we will finalize it”, said the prime minister.
Rama underlined that another important task is the complete construction of laboratories accredited according to European Union standards, necessary for guaranteeing food safety and product quality.
“We will build the EU-accredited laboratories. Today, we have a completely different level of analysis quality, but we need to complete the entire laboratory project,” he said.
The head of government also emphasized that the field advisory services system will be significantly strengthened, with special support from the Agricultural University of Tirana.
“We will push very hard for the advisory services system on the ground and we will rely in particular on the Agricultural University of Tirana, where we have every reason to believe that year after year we will have more and more skills to guide us on our path, i.e. the public sector and you as the private sector,” Rama stated.
According to the prime minister, if the reforms are implemented properly, the European common market will yield direct benefits to Albanian farmers.
“If we do the right things, the common market will be a blessing for you,” he said.
Rama’s statements come at an important moment in the European integration process. After the opening of the Chapter 5 Group at the 7th Intergovernmental Conference, Albanian agriculture opens a mew phase, where chapters 11 (Agriculture and rural development), 12 (Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy) and 13 (Fisheries) are placed at the center of reforms towards membership in the European Union. /gj.m/a.f/p.s./
