EU Commissioner values efforts of Moldova to strengthen the health system

Chisinau, 06 July /MOLDPRES/ – The developments in the implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement on Food Health and Food Safety and the short and medium term priorities in this area were the main topics addressed by Premier Pavel Filip and the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis, who pays a visit to Chisinau.

According to the government’s communication and protocol department, Prime Minister Pavel Filip welcomed the visit of the European official to Moldova, remarking that the discussions with the European institutions were extremely useful given the reform agenda implemented in Moldova, including in the field of health and food safety.

Similarly, the Premier expressed his gratitude to the European partners for their support in the endowment and accreditation of the national laboratories, which would improve the national food control and extend the range of products authorized for export, especially seeds and products of animal origin, on the EU market. "Today the European Union market is the most important for Moldova. In 2016, statistics showed us that over 65 per cent of exports were made on the markets of EU member states," said Pavel Filip.

In this context, the head of the Executive noted that at the beginning of June 2017, the national system of seed control and certification was declared equivalent to the EU, which would allow seed delivery to the European market. "It is still an open door to Europe that will allow producers in this field to sell their goods on the EU market, too," said Pavel Filip.

At his part, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety reiterated that Moldova was and would remain an important partner for the EU in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership. The official said the European Union supported healthcare reforms by providing training and technical assistance. "I encourage Moldova's efforts to implement EU legislation, control of tobacco and fight against infectious diseases. I want to continue to have a very good collaboration in health and food safety fields," said Vytenis Andriukaitis.

Also, the officials highlighted Moldova’s progress in the sanitary and phytosanitary sector, including animal health.

The parties also had an exchange of views on essential health reforms, particularly on the reform of the public health system, the hospital system and the reform of primary medicine.

Also, the talks focused on the fight against smoking in Moldova and the positive effects of the approval of a law on it. In the context, Vytenis Andriukaitis appreciated the efforts of the Executive for the signing and ratification by Moldova of the Protocol on Illicit Trafficking of Tobacco Products.