Even if the Republic of Moldova produces high-quality grapevine cuttings, these cannot be exported to the European Union. The authorities are looking for solutions to convince decision-makers in Brussels to allow exporting grapevine cuttings from Moldova even if the country is not an EU member, director of the National Food Safety Agency Gheorghe Gaberi has said, quoted by IPN.

According to him, there is an EU directive that bans the import of grapevine cuttings from non-EU member states. But now that Moldova and the EU fully benefit from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Regime, the Moldovan authorities are holding talks with Brussels so that the export of such cuttings from Moldova is allowed. It’s not fair that EU countries can export grapevine cuttings to Moldova, while Moldova cannot.

As regards the CIS market, there was a problem concerning the export of saplings and cuttings to Russia. In 2009, it was agreed that specialists of Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) will come to Moldova to inspect the nurseries as the export without their opinion wasn’t possible. The Russian specialists came only this September and took samples of plants and soil from Moldovan nurseries. It is expected that the export of cuttings and saplings to Russia will be opened after this visit.

Gheorghe Gaberi noted that the export of grapevine cuttings and saplings to such CIS member states as Ukraine and Belarus has increased.