With the SAFIAL (Institutional strengthening of the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the management of food safety) project, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Albania for a value of 2 million and 400 thousand euros, the Italian Government supports the development of the phytosanitary control capabilities of the Albanian State. Food safety, in its aspects that most concern people’s health is a priority element of Italy’s cooperation commitment. On the one hand, it contributes to enhancing the quality of trade to and from Albania, on the other, it offers Italian citizens visiting Albania and Albanian citizens preparing to enter Europe greater guarantees on agri-food production and their health.
The initiative is carried out by CIHEAM of Bari, which has already set up a new border inspection point at the port of Durres and is about to complete the professional training of the Albanian operators of the National Food Agency (AKU), of the Institute for Food and Veterinary Safety (ISUV) and the National Veterinary and Phytosanitary Agency, public institutions coordinated by the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The border inspection point of Durres was inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Lollobrigida and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Cirielli on 27 March.
CIHEAM Bari supplied new technologies for phytosanitary controls and diagnostics to the food analysis laboratories of the AKU of Durres and the ISUV of Tirana. The activities envisaged by the initiative are still ongoing. More will be done on veterinary safety. It is a process of renewal of the Albanian State services and capacity building, which sees Italy at the forefront, also in the prevention of Xylella fastidiosa, in compliance with the provisions of the new EU Regulation on the matter which came into force on 1 January 2023. A new step forward towards Albania’s European integration.
