24 February 2020

Two experts from Ireland, Gabriel Roe and Dermot Sheridan, are joining the Food Safety Project in Albania on 24-28 of February to advise beneficiary Albanian institutions on plant health and plant protection products.

This is Mr. Sheridan’s first mission to Albania and will involve meeting with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) and the Albanian National Food Authority (AKU) to discuss controls, regulation and monitoring of plant protection products. Mr. Sheridan will also meet with a representative of the Food Safety and Veterinary Institute (ISUV) to discuss ISUV's role in testing plant protection products and pesticide residues.

Gabriel Roe, the project’s plant health expert, is on his fourth mission to Albania and will continue his work with MoARD experts in support of a new Plant Health Law in relation to EU Regulation 2016/2031.

During their week in Albania, the two Irish experts are also presenting at a plant protection products and plant health workshop with participants from MoARD, AKU and ISUV.

A meeting with the Department of Plant Protection at the University of Agriculture in Tirana is also taking place later this week to better understand the role of university in relation to plant health and plant protection products.

The project, “Support to food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary standards”, is implemented by a consortium led by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The implementing group also includes the Finnish Food Authority, the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Creative Business Solutions (CBS) in Albania.