AT THE STAND OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, A TOPIC OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE: Standards in agriculture as a guardian of quality

European Union standards in agriculture and access to the common European market were among the central topics of the panel at the European Union stand in Serbia, which discussed the importance of harmonizing production with European rules and standards. The focus of the talks was food safety and quality, environmental protection, animal welfare, but also the way in which uniform rules enable equal conditions for producers on the European market.

During the panel, it was emphasized that the agricultural sector occupies an important place in European policies, bearing in mind the large number of producers and consumers within the single market of the European Union. Almost half of the European regulations relate to agriculture and standards related to food production.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, said that European standards in agriculture represent a broad concept, which includes environmental protection, food safety, animal welfare and food quality standards.
– They are important for two reasons. The first is that the European Union has a single market and that is why it is important that there are certain standards that everyone will comply with, so that everyone plays by the same rules. The second and most important reason is to ensure high quality for consumers. The agricultural sector plays a very important role in the European Union, which brings together a large number of producers and consumers, so we want to ensure equal quality for all with standards. Almost 50 percent of European regulations relate to agriculture – said von Beckerath.