New veterinary and phytosanitary inspection facilities at Tabanovce border crossing were officially put into operation Tuesday, which will enable better examination of packages and effective protection of the health of people, animals and plants. EU provided funds for the facility in the amount of EUR 1.3 million.p/>
 
The facility was officially put into operation by EU Ambassador Peter Sorensen, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Ljupco Dimovski, and Director of the Food and Veterinary Agency of the Republic of Macedonia, Dean Runtevski.
 
– By building the facility, the most modern working conditions have been ensured for official veterinarians, food and phytosanitary inspectors and quality inspection of consignments of live animals, food and by-products of animal origin, plants and products of plant origin imported or transiting the Republic of Macedonia. The facility is designed in line with European standards and, with its official opening, Macedonia meets the standards laid down in the EU legislation on veterinary and phytosanitary inspection, Vice Prime Minister Stavreski said at the event.
 
According to him, importers will benefit the most from this facility being put into operation, since now they can obtain the import licences at the border crossing.
 
– This will significantly shorten the procedure which used to last for several weeks, and now it takes just few hours. It will also reduce the costs for the carriers, who will be provided to use the premises in the facility of the Food and Veterinary Agency when importing goods in the country, Stavreski said.
The need to build such facility was also underlined by the Director of the Food and Veterinary Agency, Dean Runtevski, who said that its was necessary, since Tabanovce border crossing was one of the most frequent border crossings, with 7,000 consignments from animal origin annually, twice more than the consignments of non-animal origin, and with 1,000 consignments of food products.
 
– The benefit of having such facility is achieving quality as regards the consignments, Runtevski said, underlining that Tabanovce border crossing finally became a modern and European border crossing with the opening of the facility.
 
According to EU Ambassador Sorensen, opening the facility, funded by the EU, would enable veterinary services to execute their activities more effectively in protecting against diseases of both the population and the animals.
 
– Importing products from animal origin is a risk for transmitting diseases. Hence, adequate inspection is vital to prevent such risks and safe products to be imported in the country, Sorensen said, adding that EU would resume its support through new programme in the amount of EUR 5 million, in addition to the ongoing support in the amount of EUR 3 million.
 
EU has financed other facilities at the border crossings of Medzitlija and Bogorodica and new ones are planned to be built at Alexander the Great Airport and Kafasan border crossing.(MIA)