Presentation of the Twinning project on the National Reference Laboratories Directorate

On 18th May 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the EU Delegation to Serbia announced at the 78th International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad the commencement of the twinning project entitled “Capacity Building within the National Reference Laboratories Directorate”.

On that occasion, the following persons gave their opening addresses: Dušan Petrović, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, Vincent Deger, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Mete Kuel Nilsen, Danish Ambassador to Serbia, and Tsjeard Hoekstra, Deputy Head of Mission to Serbia.

The project budget is 1.5 million Euros and it is an EU-funded project. This two-year project officially started on 1st March 2011. Experts form Holland and Denmark, partner EU Member States, will assist Serbia as a beneficiary country to build capacities of the newly established the National Reference Laboratories Directorate within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia. By the end of the year the National Reference Laboratories Directorate will also receive the laboratory equipment as a donation from the EU the value of which amounts to 5 million Euros.

Dutch and Danish experts will give advice, recommendations and training in the field of capacity building, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), accreditation, and non-human resource management in order to ensure development of good and reliable reference laboratory that will have competent staff, be well equipped, accredited and efficient, and in full compliance with the EU regulations.

Project’s contribution to the development of a national reference laboratory in Serbia will bring significant benefit directly to the Serbian citizens and ensure food safety in accordance with the EU standards. Furthermore, it will upgrade trade possibilities on home and foreign markets, especially in the EU Member States.

Interested parties from public institutions, scientific and research centres, and representatives of the Accreditation Body of Serbia were present at this event.

Uroš Ungurović, Director of the National Reference Laboratories Directorate, Mete Kuel Nilsen, Danish Ambassador to Serbia, Dušan Petrović, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, Vincent Deger, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Tsjeard Hoekstra, Deputy Head of Mission, and Frederike Dame as moderator and representative of the Safety of Food and Non-food Products Agency the of the Kingdom of Holland

Mirjana Koprivica, National Reference Laboratories Directorate, Uroš Ungurović, Director of the National Reference Laboratories Directorate, Ron Dvinger, Project Team Leader, Zoran Mićović, Chief Veterinary Officer, Frederike Dame, representative of the Safety of Food and Non-food Products Agency of the Kingdom of Holland, and Alfred Bram, Project Adviser

Snježana Pupavac MSc, Chair of the ATS Management Board, also attended the event.