AGREEMENTBETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND WATER MANAGEMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND THE FOOD AND VETERINARY AGENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF FOOD SAFETY AND VETERINARY POLICY("Off. Herald of RS - Treaties", No. 14/2019) |
Aiming to facilitate the trade with animals, products of animal origin, food and feed in such a way which does not pose restriction to mutual trade, by remaining the necessary level of protection of the life and human health, and in the same time to prevent introduction of contagious animal diseases and products and foodstuffs which are harmful for the health, as well as aiming to develop the cooperation in the field of veterinary policy and food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia and the Food and Veterinary Agency of The Republic of North Macedonia (hereinafter: ″Parties″), have agreed on the following.
Article 1
1) Import and transit of consignments of animals, products of animal origin, food and feed (hereinafter: "consignments") may be performed only if the requirements are in accordance with the veterinary and food safety provisions of the importing country. This is guaranteed by certificate or attestation issued by the competent authority of the exporting country.
2) The Parties shall exchange the models of International Veterinary certificates and other documents accompanying the consignments in the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia and shall mutually communicate the modifications and amendments thereof.
3) The certificates and attestations must be printed in Serbian, Macedonian and English languages.
4) The Parties agree that the competent authorities of their countries will recognize the reports of accredited laboratories of each country.
5) Each Party reserves the right to carry out controls and examinations of the consignments during the import.
Article 2
1) The import of food of non-animal origin may be permitted only in case of compliance with the requirements laid down in the food safety regulations which are in force in the importing country.
2) In case of import, the consignments of food of non-animal origin must be accompanied with results from laboratory analysis which are not older than four (4) months, and which are performed with accredited methods and issued by accredited laboratories.
3) The Parties agree that the competent authorities will recognize the reports on the examinations of food of non-animal origin issued by accredited laboratories.
4) Each Party reserves the right to carry out controls and examinations of the consignments of food of non-animal origin during the import.
Article 3
The competent authorities of the Parties must:
1) mutually communicate the requirements for import and transit of consignments;
2) inform each other in written or electronical form, within 24 hours, of an outbreak of transmissible animal disease of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) as well as of the disease course, and in case of the Foot and Mouth Disease, indicate the type of virus, source of agent, the character of the disease and measures taken for prevention and eradication of the disease.
Article 4
In order to develop the cooperation in the veterinary and the food safety field, the competent authorities of the Parties shall:
1) exchange legislation and experts’ publications which refer to the veterinary and food safety field;
2) exchange sampling plans for examination of residues in the current year, as well as the results of the tests carried out during the previous year;
3) at least one month prior to the adoption, shall exchange sampling plans and monitoring programs for consignments during import as well as operational procedures for inspection control during import, and on the basis of the risk assessment and risk analysis carried out by the competent authority, to achieve mutual harmonization as regards the relevant requirements;
4) mutually recognize the guarantees for the establishments for food of animal origin, animal by-products and feed in order to be interoduced on the list of third countries approved for import;
5) promote the cooperation among scientific institutions in the field of animal health and veterinary public health, as well as the cooperation of the diagnostic and analytical laboratories;
6) provide mutual support in production and supply of means necessary for eradication of diseases and treatment of animals;
7) exchange, if necessary, diagnostic means and strains of infectious and parasitic diseases for experimental and diagnostic purposes;
8) encourage cooperation of the veterinary services, including exchange of veterinary experts in order to introduce the organizations and the activities of the veterinary services of both countries;
9) exchange information on exporting establishments and the animal health status; and endeavor to organize expert meetings, at least once a year, on mutual basis.
Article 5
(1) If at the point of entry or at the place of destination it is established that the consignment does not comply with the veterinary-sanitary conditions stated in the certificate, the competent authority of the Party on which State territory inadequacy is detected shall immediately inform the competent authority of the other Party and take measures in accordance with its internal regulations.
(2) The competent authorities of the Parties must mutually communicate the measures for imposing restrictions and bans for export of animals, products of animal origin, food and feed.
Article 6
1) If a transmissible animal disease is diagnosed on the State territory, zones or compartments of one Party, the competent authority of the other Party is entitled to restrict or ban import and transit of consignment of animals of the species susceptible to that disease, coming from the territory, zones or compartments in which such a disease has an outbreak or from the whole State Party.
2) The restrictions or the bans for import or transit may apply, with the same requirements, on the other consignments which may transmit the disease.
Article 7
Disputes arising from the application of this Agreement shall be resolved between the representatives of the competent authorities of the Parties.
Article 8
The provisions of this Agreement may be subject to amendments approved by the Parties.
Article 9
This Agreement shall not apply to the rights and obligations of the Parties countries which stipulate from other international agreements, in which they are Contracting countries.
Article 10
(1) This Agreement is concluded for a period of five (5) years and shall enter into force on the day of its signing.
(2)This Agreement shall automatically be extended for additional one (1) year periods, unless either of the Party notifies the other Party of its intention to terminate it, in writing through diplomatic channels, not later than six (6) months prior to the expiry date of the Agreement.
(3) With the entry into force of this Agreement, the Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water economy of the Republic of Serbia and the Food and Veterinary Agency of the Republic of Macedonia for cooperation in the field of food safety and veterinary policy, signed in Belgrade on February 03, 2012, shall cease to be valid.
Done in Belgrade on 19. 11. 2019. in two original copies in the Serbian, Macedonian and English languages, all of texts being equally authentic. In case of divergences in interpretation, the English text shall prevail.
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