Food Safety News reported the development on 2025-11-19. An assessment has revealed what is going well and which bits need work regarding the food safety systems of five potential European Union countries.
The report places the news in a wider commercial context. The reports cover progress in the past 12 months and the level of preparation in Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Moldova and Serbia. Ukraine expanded use of the EU’s trade control and expert system (TRACES). It now covers 24 commodities, with 36,000 certificates issued from September 2024 to July 2025. Also, measures were introduced to counter illegal grain export.
For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. Ukraine participates in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) without full membership, and the epidemiological surveillance system still needs to be integrated with the relevant EU systems. Several pieces of legislation will enter into force with the primary GMO law in September 2026.
Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. Albania and MontenegroIn Albania, legislation on official controls is not yet aligned with the EU’s Official Controls Regulation (OCR). Efforts are needed by the authorities on enforcement in cases of non-compliance and risk management concerning pesticide residues and food placed on the market.
Food Safety News
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