Latvia training shapes Uzbekistan’s rules and institutions
27.11.2024 52
When Uzbekistan becomes a WTO member, it will need to meet the requirements and international standards of potential export markets.
With farm products, the WTO’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures determines how rules and standards are set and applied to protect human health, and animal and plant health.
Uzbekistan has identified this complex area of World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements as a priority to build technical knowledge.
To this aim, four senior officials travelled to Latvia in September for five days of training to gain first-hand knowledge on implementing and applying the SPS Agreement. Latvia is a European Union member, and the delegation were also familiarized with the EU’s SPS risk controls system – generally considered as global best practice.
The training shared both technical expertise and acquainted the specialists with the institutions of Latvia’s food import and control systems. The officials were hosted by Latvia’s Food and Veterinary Service (FVS).
The experience has had a direct bearing on lawmaking. Uzbekistan’s draft food safety rules were finetuned after the training. Its institutions will also take a cue from the Latvian experience, the visiting officials confirmed.
Institutions and tools
The first day of the training introduced the FVS’s structure, operations, and resources. A session was dedicated to general requirements for exporting animal products to the EU.
On the second day they visited the scientific institute BIOR, Latvia’s national reference laboratory for public and environmental health, food, fishery and veterinary medicine.
Over the next days, the delegation visited the border control post at Riga’s port. They were also familiarized with the EU’s TRACES platform and Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
The RASFF is a tool that ensures swift action when a risk from the food chain threatens public health. TRACES is the EU’s platform where requisite certificates are issued and compliance with EU requirements is monitored. The system is highly rated for its efficacy, transparency and traceability and already in use by 90 countries.
Training aids rule reforms
The delegation represented key institutions related to SPS:
- the Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Healthcare Committee (San-Epid Committee), which oversees food safety,
- the Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine, which oversees plant health,
- the Veterinary and Livestock Development Committee, which is in charge of animal health and veterinary issues, and
- the Customs Committee, which is responsible for Uzbekistan's imports and exports.
The knowledge gained helped shape food safety reforms in Uzbekistan, said the delegate of the San-Epid Committee, which is the lead institution coordinating the draft Law on Food Safety.
The evolution of the Latvian system was of particular interest because the two countries’ original systems were similar. Latvia’s experience could therefore be a useful example for Uzbekistan.
The delegation also tipped Latvia’s BIOR Institute as a model to improve Uzbekistan’s food safety laboratories.
The training attachment was organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) at the San-Epid Committee’s request, with funding from the EU under the project Facilitating the process of Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO. It took place from 23 to 27 September in the Latvian capital Riga.