Veterinary and sanitary services to be reintroduced at customs posts

The veterinary and sanitary services will be reintroduced at customs posts. The checkpoints will be set up by the end of the second quarter of next year, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a Government Decision. These services were excluded more than three years ago after there were opened one-stop offices at customs posts. The given functions were transferred to the customs bodies. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said the veterinary and sanitary services will be reintroduced in accordance with the food safety strategy for 2011-2015. The implementation of this strategy is a condition deriving from the talks on the creation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU that are to start by the end of this year. The checkpoints will be modernized until 2015 in order to ensure efficient control based on the EU principles. Vasile Bumacov said the reintroduction of the veterinary and sanitary services at customs posts will not affect the one-stop offices. According to the minister, the veterinary and sanitary checks are needed for animals, products of animal origin and goods that can carry animal diseases and in order to prevent the bringing in and spreading of organisms that are dangerous for products of animal origin. The Ministry of Finance disapproved of this draft decision.