On October 17, 2018 at the premises of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection the Sixth Steering Committee Meeting of the Twinning project “Approximation of Ukrainian legislation with the EU in the field of plant protection products and plant health and strengthening associated inspection and laboratory services” was conducted.
The Project is implemented in joint cooperation with the State Plant Protection Service of Latvia, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, Julius Kühn-Institute (Germany), State Plant Service of Lithuania under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The overall objective of the Project is creation of legislative and managerial frameworks for the proper use of plant protection products and the improvement of (accompanying) relating inspections and laboratory systems in accordance with the requirements of the EU.
First Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Andrii Zhuk and Director of the Department of Phytosanitary Safety, Control in the Seed and Seedling Area of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Andrii Chelombitko in their opening speeches underlined the need for further harmonization of the Ukrainian legal base in accordance with the commitments made by Ukraine in accordance with agreements between Ukraine and the European Union.
Resident Twinning Advisor Raivis Grosbardis presented the sixth quarterly report of the Project as well as made a brief overview of the work, identifying plans for the next reporting period. In particular, it was noted that during the reporting period (June–September 2018), 13 expert missions were executed and two internships – an internship for laboratory specialists in the area of analysis of pesticides and an internship for specialists of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the area of monitoring of harmful organisms – were carried out.
Deputy Director of the Department of Phytosanitary Security, Control in Seed Production and Seedling – Head of Phytosanitary Security Administration of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Vadym Chaikovskyi presented a brief report on the results of study visits of representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection to Lithuania and Germany that were organised within the framework of the Twinning project. Thus, two Ukrainian laboratory specialists had an internship in the research center Landesuntersuchungsanstalt für das Gesundheits- und Veterinärwesen Sachsen (Dresden, Germany) in order to get acquainted with analytical methods for detection of PPP residues in plant products and implementation of the standard ISO 17025.
It was also mentioned that following the decision made at the Fifth Steering Committee the Twinning Project is going to print a guide/manual containing four parts of methodological recommendations for phytosanitary inspectors. It was prepared by the MS and Beneficiary experts and is meant to be used in the Beneficiary’s daily activities.
As a result of the meeting, the Minutes of the Fifth Steering Committee Meeting and the sixth quarterly report of the Project were approved.
Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine also took part in the event. On behalf of the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union the Head of the TAIEX Coordination Division of the Projects Management Unit Olena Rachynska attended the event.
For reference:
according to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ukraine “On Approval of the Procedure for Initiation, Preparation and Implementation of the Twinning Projects” as of 11 October, 2016 No 700 the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service coordinates the implementation of the institution building instrument of the European Union Twinning in Ukraine. Furthermore, in accordance with relevant legal acts the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service is the coordinator of institution building instrument TAIEX implementation in Ukraine. In order to provide effective coordination of Twinning and TAIEX the Twinning Program Administration Office in Ukraine was established, its functions are performed by the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the Standards of the European Union.
