“Codru ST” Company became the first Moldovan Company that produces and exports apples, which obtained the EUREPGAP certificate. EUREPGAP is a food security standards requested when exporting fresh fruits and vegetables on the market of the European Union. The ceremony on handing the certificate took place at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry on Wednesday, December 20. “Codru ST” implemented the EUREP GAP requirements owing to the assistance of Moldovan consultants from the Agricultural Business Development Project (ABDP), financed by USAID and implemented by Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS). Ion Chilianu, the director of the company said that the enterprise intends to increase significantly the export of apples on the European market after it receives the certificate. The present exports total 2.5 tonnes. The company paid MDL 20 thousand for the certificate. Previously it obtained the ISO certificate for the sum of USD 20 thousand. The certificate was obtained by “Codru-ST” during half a year. The enterprise certified a plantation of 100 ha in Straseni and Calarasi. According to Chilianu, the most solicited sorts of apples in the UE are “Golden”, “Gala” and “De Costa”. The general manager of SGS company, Sergiu Croitoru said that starting 2003, when SGS was officially accredited by EUREPGAP as authorising body. Few companies producing fruits and vegetables in Moldova expressed their willingness to obtain the EUREPGAP certificate. According to him, the cause is that Moldovan companies are traditionally orienting towards CIS markets which has much softer requirements and because they are not aware of the export system and the requirements of EU markets, that turn to be very attractive. At present these standards are used by another 3 companies in Moldova. ABDP is a 5 year project implemented by the CNFA, a USA-based NGO. Launched in June 2004, ABDP offers consultancy services in business and technical assistance to farmers, local producers and processors in order to improve competitiveness in agriculture. The experts of ABDP helped the local professionals in drawing up a guide for the implementation of EUREPGAP requirements for fruits and vegetables and instructed consultants and local producers. EUREGAP (Good Agricultural Practices) started in 1997 as an initiative by retailers belonging to the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group (EUREP). EUREP started to work on harmonized standards and procedures for the development of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in agriculture.