28-12-2022
Lithuania to help Israel harmonise food safety legislation in line with EU requirements
The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) has been chosen as a partner for the implementation of a 24-month Twinning project 'Providing assistance to Israel in aligning food safety legislation with the EU Aquis Regulations'. The SFVS together with the relevant competent authorities from Greece, Austria and Hungary, with which it has submitted a joint proposal, will implement the project.
“Lithuania has been chosen for this project not arbitrarily, but due to the enormous experience of the SFVS in implementing EU food safety legislation both at the time of accession to the European Union and after Lithuania became a member of the EU, as mentioned in the evaluation of the proposals. Similar projects have already been implemented by the SFVS and the experience gained in transferring knowledge and helping other countries to adopt best practices and experiences in the EU is highly appreciated. Indeed, the number of experts offered, of which we have more than 30 on food safety issues alone, whose competence and experience allow us to provide assistance to other countries and to win cooperation and assistance projects, also confirms the competence of the SFVS in this field,” says Vaidotas Kiudulas, an official veterinary inspector and the Head of the Border Food and Veterinary Control Department of the SFVS, who is the head of the project coordinating the assistance and expert missions.
According to the project manager, more than 20 experts of the SFVS are involved in the Israeli project to share their experience in the field of food safety. The SFVS has more than 50 international experts who regularly share their experience with other countries in the food and veterinary fields. The SFVS has implemented as many as 10 EU-funded Twinning projects in Turkey, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and 3 technical assistance projects in Serbia, Belarus and Ukraine. It is currently implementing a Twinning project in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a technical assistance project in Ethiopia.
The new Twinning project will provide assistance to the National Food Service of Israel in the alignment of the country’s national food safety legislation with the EU Acquis, a set of common rights and obligations that form the body of EU law and are incorporated into the legal systems of EU Member States. The project will help Israeli food producers to implement an international HACCP system to identify, assess and manage hazardous factors in food production. The legislation will be aligned with EU practice, supporting EU sampling, monitoring and control of food contaminants and pesticide residues, and promoting open and continuous communication and exchange of data on food safety and quality with relevant European services.
This year Lithuania imported live carp, couscous, grapefruit, food supplements and cinnamon from Israel, while exporting dairy products, fish and fish products, cat and dog food from Lithuania to Israel. The Twinning project and the alignment of Israel’s legislation on food safety with EU requirements will create more opportunities for imports and exports, which should lead to closer cooperation between businesses and regulatory authorities, as well as to a wider choice of Israeli food products for EU consumers.
The European Commission is providing 1.5 million euros for the project.