APD Accession Talks – Third Edition 2025

The meeting provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences, review recent progress, and discuss the remaining challenges related to the transposition and implementation of EU food safety and SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) legislation. Discussions focused on practical approaches to achieving compliance, sharing best practices, and identifying opportunities for enhanced regional cooperation in the context of EU accession.

The key speakers presented the state of preparedness across the partner countries:

• Ukraine has made substantial legislative progress despite the ongoing war and is now focusing on implementation, enforcement, and institutional capacity building.
• Moldova has successfully completed its bilateral screening with the European Commission and is strengthening its institutional framework to advance further under Chapter 12.
• The Western Balkan countries are progressing at different speeds, with North Macedonia and Montenegro showing good alignment with EU requirements, while others continue to focus on reinforcing administrative capacity, enforcement mechanisms, and inter-institutional coordination.

Discussion and Outcomes

The discussion and Q&A session highlighted both achievements and common challenges across the region, including laboratory capacity, traceability systems, official controls, and effective enforcement of SPS measures. Participants emphasized the importance of institutional cooperation and knowledge exchange as key factors for success.

Moving Forward

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the partners’ joint commitment to continue regional collaboration, peer learning, and technical cooperation to strengthen food safety, animal and plant health systems as integral components of the EU accession process.