Within the project “Growing Together 3” Portal “Analitika” will present the IPA projects that are in the final stage or were completed, with the aim of demonstrating how important it is for our country to use the IPA funds for the further development of segments of our society.
The project is funded by the European Commission, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, namely the Veterinary Administration are the main beneficiaries of this project. The project includes the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Veterinary Inspection.
The total value of the project was 775.000 Euros, out of which the EU provided with 700.000 (698.320) and our institutions’ participation was 75.000 Euros.
The aim of the project was to improve the capacity of the Veterinary Administration and veterinary inspection, in order to enable these institutions to implement EU acquis, related to Chapter 12 - Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy.
Strengthening the veterinary services of Montenegro should be achieved through connecting a number of individual results in key and closely related fields of veterinary responsibility. Therefore, these results may be classified into five project components: Harmonization of national legislation, Development of inspection, administrative and operational procedures, Competences and capacities to fully and effectively perform tasks have been improved, Integrated system of identification and marking of animals has expanded to other species, the Veterinary information system has been extended, and raising awareness of stakeholders.
The project "Strengthening of the Veterinary Service" deals with: legislation, procedures, trainings, and assists in activities concerning the identification of animals. These are all elements that all together provide the basis for proper and effective control of animal health and thus enhance people's health and living standards in general.
The strategic vision
For this reason, the premise of the project is to show the need for a range of activities that cannot be achieved through "step by step" approach, but require a global strategic vision.
Defined strategic approach will allow efficient adoption and implementation of operational measures and introduced standards.
One of the activities planned in this project is a campaign of identification and registration of pigs and farms in Montenegro. The campaign is carried out by competent veterinary infirmaries that have contracts with the Veterinary Administration. It represents an upgrade of the system for identification and registration of all domestic and other animals, which in Montenegro began in 2007.
Activities within the campaign are implemented in accordance with European and international standards for the development of cattle breeding - pig sector. After the registration of farms and identification and registration of pigs by veterinary infirmaries, farmers receive the Specification list for the registration of farms and the Certificate on the identification of animals. In this way, the farm is fed into the Central Registry of farms. These data will be used for further planning of institutional and international incentive funds for the development of pig breeding, while the animals will be registered as the subject of continuous medical and veterinary supervision by the competent services.
Registration and identification of pigs and farms in 2015 is free of charge for farmers, and during the campaign, it is expected that around 40,000 pigs will be identified.
The system of identification and registration of pigs will enable traffic control of pigs, marking of meat and other meat products, control of imports and exports, monitoring of residues and animal welfare, traceability in the supervision of the food chain, and improving living standards. The aim of establishing this system is the control of animal health, as well as the eradication of animal diseases.
Registered and identified farms, as well as animals and animal products from such a farm, are a prerequisite for quality assurance. In this way, farmers will, in addition to standardizing the quality of livestock production and accessibility to the EU development funds, build trust with local consumers and will be one step closer to the international market. In addition, this EU project will help Montenegro, as a candidate country, to develop further inspection, administrative and operational procedures through training and study visits.
On the other hand, the Montenegrin society will benefit from the establishment of this system because its effective implementation will have a positive impact on the fight against unfair competition and the "black market".
