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Andriukaitis on food safety: Hard work to follow

Speaking to MINA Agency he said that the Government of Montenegro has issued the Strategy on transposition and implementation of legislation of EU in food safety, and he said that was the key move towards legal adjustments that should be done by 2018.

Andriukaitis said that the implementation should last for 5 years, until 2020.

„Opening this chapter is a success, but my visit is also to encourage Montenegro, because the hard work begins now“, Andriukaitis said.

He said that Chapter 12 is particularly demanding and that greatest challenges lie in improving the facilities for processing of food of animal origin in accordance with EU standards.

„These are very important matters for us, and I will explain this to my Montenegrin colleagues”, he added.

Speaking of Montenegro’s capacities to fulfill these obligations, he said that EU would not have started the negotiations had it thought that Montenegro is not ready.

„This is a big task and the expectations are great, as are our standards for food safety”, Vytenis Andriukaitis said.

He was asked what will Montenegro gain by opening this chapter, and he said that this is the next step forward on the EU path.

„Montenegrin citizens will get the advantage of connecting with a 500 million people in the EU market”, Andriukaitis said.

He said that the safety system and EU food standard has progressed constantly during the last 40 years.

„We respond to challenges by monitoring our consumers needs“, Andriukaitis said.

He said that EU has one of the most open markets in the world.

„Our doors are open for food from all over the world, on the condition that it meets our safety standards”, Vytenis Andriukaitis said.

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