Agriculture and food control system under review

Experts of the Secretariat of the Economic Council attached to the Prime Minister convened the first meeting of the Working Group No. 7 on the reform of the control system in agriculture and food. The meeting was attended by representatives of the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the National Agency for Food Safety, the business community and other stakeholders. The participants are to review the regulatory framework with a view to improving the situation, as stipulated by Government Order 108-d of 25 July 2023.

Among other things, it was discussed that the current legislation on the classification of cattle, pig and sheep carcasses stipulates that ANSA verifies the correct use of equipment and techniques for the classification of cattle, pig and sheep carcasses; it keeps and keeps records of the control documents drawn up following the verification of the results of carcass classification by the classifiers. Such control tasks cannot be attributed to the veterinary or consumer protection sectors.  

It is necessary to review the respective tasks of the ANSA, as they relate more to the classification of carcasses for purposes other than food safety and consumer protection. At the same time, the proposal that these tasks should be assigned to veterinarians in slaughterhouses could be evaluated, given that they are carried out on behalf of the ANSA. And in the field of consumer protection, the ANSA works in conjunction with other control bodies (ISSPNPC, ANTA, ANSP, AST, ANRE, ANRCETI, CNPF), which are assigned control duties in specific areas.

Thus, for some objectives, control is carried out by several bodies and there is a risk of undue burden on economic operators due to multiple controls by the respective authorities. From this perspective, it is recommended to expressly provide in the law, that at the objects where a varied assortment of products are on sale, only joint controls will be carried out together with ANSP and ISSPNPC.

These and other problems have largely been identified by business associations. Proposals to address them are largely based on practices and principles promoted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, including mechanisms and principles for state control of entrepreneurial activity that currently exist in Moldova. The reform of the system of state control over entrepreneurial activity is envisaged for 2023-2024 and is being promoted with the support of the business community members of the Economic Council, representatives of state institutions and donor organisations, including USAID/MISRA.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.