North Macedonia Enforces Meat, Poultry, and Animal Origin Products Controls

North Macedonia has strengthened official controls over meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products through updated rulebooks and legal frameworks.

Compliance Overview: Strengthened Official Controls on Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Dairy Products in North Macedonia

North Macedonia has recently updated its legal and regulatory framework to enhance official controls over food of animal origin, including meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. These updates are primarily governed by the Law on Official Controls and three supporting Rulebooks, which align with international standards (e.g., Codex Alimentarius, OIE) and EU regulations to ensure food safety and animal health. Below is a structured analysis of the key requirements, authorities, and timelines.

Key Regulations and Requirements

*BIP = Border Inspection Post

Detailed Compliance Requirements

1. Law on Official Controls¹

• Scope: Applies to all official controls on live animals, food of animal origin (meat, poultry, fish, dairy), and related goods imported into or traded within North Macedonia.
• Key Provisions:
• Mandates the establishment of a computerized information system to manage data on official controls¹.
• Requires cooperation with third-country authorities for imports¹.
• Financing of official controls is addressed, though specific mechanisms are not detailed in the notification¹.
• Entry into Force: 8 days after publication in the Official Journal¹.
• Trade Impact: Classified as a trade-facilitating measure¹.

2. Rulebook on Official Controls of Food of Animal Origin²

• Scope: Covers official controls on all food of animal origin intended for human consumption, including:
• Meat (fresh, processed, or minced).
• Poultry and poultry products.
• Fish and fishery products.
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, etc.).
• Key Provisions:
• Official veterinarians must conduct controls in accordance with hygiene and safety standards derived from Codex Alimentarius and OIE guidelines².
• Controls include ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections for meat, microbiological testing for dairy, and parasite checks for fish².
• Aligns with EU regulations (e.g., Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627)².
• Entry into Force: 1 day after publication in the Official Journal (anticipated end of 2023)².
• Stakeholder Engagement: Comments were accepted via the National Enquiry Point (FVA) until the Rulebook entered the government adoption procedure².

3. Rulebook on Controls at BIPs for Passengers’ Personal Luggage³

• Scope: Applies to small consignments of animal-origin products (e.g., meat, dairy, composite products) brought into North Macedonia as passengers’ personal luggage not intended for market placement.
• Key Provisions:
• Products must undergo official controls at BIPs to ensure compliance with food safety and animal health standards³.
• Exempts such products from full market placement requirements but prohibits commercial distribution³.
• Aligns with EU Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2122, which exempts certain categories of goods from BIP controls under specific conditions³.
• Entry into Force: 8 days after publication in the Official Journal³.
• Trade Impact: Classified as a trade-facilitating measure³.

4. Rulebook on Notification of Listed Diseases and Disease-Free Status⁴

• Scope: Focuses on animal health (not directly on food safety) but is critical for ensuring the safety of animal-origin products.
• Key Provisions:
• Establishes procedures for:
• Notifying listed diseases (e.g., avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease).
• Submitting eradication programs for approval.
• Applying for disease-free status for zones/compartments or the entire country⁴.
• Introduces the Animal Disease Information System (ADIS) for reporting and data management⁴.
• Aligns with OIE Terrestrial/Aquatic Animal Health Codes and EU Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) 2016/429)⁴.
• Entry into Force: 1 day after publication in the Official Journal (adopted December 2022)⁴.
• Trade Impact: Classified as a trade-facilitating measure⁴.

Enforcement and Oversight

• Competent Authority: The Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) is responsible for implementing and enforcing all official controls under these regulations^{2, 4, 1, 3}.
• Contact for Stakeholders:
  • Katerina Jonovska (FVA)
  • Address: III Makedonska Brigada 20, Macedonia Tabak Building, 1000 Skopje
  • Tel: +(389 2) 2457 893
  • Email: kjonovska@fva.gov.mk^{2, 3}.

Summary Answer

North Macedonia has strengthened official controls over meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products through four key regulations: the Law on Official Controls¹, the Rulebook on official controls of food of animal origin², the Rulebook on controls at BIPs for passengers’ personal luggage³, and the Rulebook on notification of listed diseases⁴. These regulations mandate hygiene inspections, disease surveillance, and border controls for animal-origin products, aligning with Codex Alimentarius, OIE standards, and EU regulations^{2, 4}. The Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) is the primary authority overseeing compliance, with most regulations entering into force 1–8 days after publication in the Official Journal^{2, 4, 1, 3}. Stakeholders were invited to submit comments via the National Enquiry Point during the adoption process^{2, 3}. These measures aim to enhance food safety and animal health while facilitating trade through standardized controls^{1, 3}.

Sources

1. ↩ Law on official controls _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NMKD16.DOCX
2. ↩ Rulebook on the manner of performing official controls of food of animal origin _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NMKD20.DOCX
3. ↩ Rulebook on the manner of conducting official controls at BIP’s of consignments of products of animal origin introduced as passengers’ personal luggage and are intended for personal consumption or use _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NMKD15.DOCX
4. ↩ Rulebook on the manner and procedure for notification of listed diseases, eradication programmes and application for recognition of disease-free status _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/SPS/NMKD18.DOCX