A delegation of the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) led by the institution's president Alexandru Nicolae Bociu was on a working visit on Thursday to the Isaccea - Orlivka border crossing in the Odessa region, in a move to strengthen cooperation between Romania and Ukraine in the animal health sector, a release informs.
Talks with the Ukrainian side were aimed at continuing the dialogue on the requirements for the registration of shipments transiting Romania in the TRACES NT system, the exchange of experience in the poultry sector's use of live vaccines against salmonellosis, as well as the harmonization of the health certificate form for the import by Ukraine of breeding and production poultry from Romania.
"The partnership between the Romanian and Ukrainian veterinary services is essential for food safety and for protecting animal health across the region. Through these direct meetings, we are strengthening not only institutional relations, but also the trust required by a common efficient and transparent control system," the ANSVSA head said in a statement.
The Ukrainian side was represented by a team led by Volodymyr Kusturov, deputy head of Ukraine's State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, and Chief State Veterinary Inspector.
Also, as part of the cross-border cooperation initiatives, the project "Development of screening and monitoring systems for emerging diseases and prevention of cross-border epidemics in the current context" carried out through the Interreg-VI-A NEXT Romania-Ukraine 2021-2027 Program with EU financing and co-financed by the participating states was launched in Romania. The project targets the strengthening of the research capacity for emerging diseases in the Lower Danube cross-border area, by improving the testing capacity of two research institutions in Romania and Ukraine.
"Among the expected results are the creation of a joint database, training of veterinary and food safety experts, running information and awareness campaigns dedicated to public institutions, farms, veterinary clinics, NGOs and local communities, as well as the implementation of a sustainable disease monitoring network in the Lower Danube area, based on Romanian-Ukrainian cross-border cooperation," the release states.
Also, the collaboration between the Romanian and Ukrainian sanitary and veterinary services could be expanded through two projects that are currently in the assessment phase, specifically "Safer Food Frontiers: Enhancing Cross-Border Food Safety in RO-UA" - with a budget of 789,701.20 euros, carried out between the Suceava Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Department and the Zakarpattia Regional Laboratory; and "Border Laboratory Initiative for Safety & Security" - with a budget of 744,026.00 euros, implemented between the Botosani Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Department and the Zakarpattia Regional Laboratory.
Both projects aim to modernize laboratories and streamline public administration by promoting cross-border cooperation between Romania and Ukraine over an implementation period of 18 months.
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