IPPC Regional Workshop for Europe and Central Asia held in Chisinau

Opening of the IPPC Regional Workshop for Europe and Central Asia © National Food Safety Agency of Moldova

2-5 September 2019, Chisinau. Agricultural experts from 26 countries of Europe and Central Asia met in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova’s capital city, for the annual IPPC regional workshop. Participants discussed draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) currently under consultation, reflected on national capacity development issues, and interacted on regional phytosanitary priorities.

The workshop, held from 2 to 5 September, was organized by the IPPC Secretariat in cooperation with FAO and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). The meeting in Chisinau is one of seven IPPC annual regional workshops organized around the world in 2019 under the theme “Plant health and capacity development.”

A second, parallel meeting was held on the third and fourth day, organized by EPPO. Participants to the two meetings had a chance to interact in a joint session on the International Year of Plant Health and relevant breaks.

Ms Ela Malai, Deputy Director-General of the Moldovan National Food Safety Agency, welcomed participants to the workshop, which she presented an opportunity to participate in the IPPC standard setting process, thus ensuring that the standards met the region’s specific needs.

The honourable Ms Georgeta Mincu, the Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova, emphasized that the workshop was an excellent opportunity to reflect on issues related to market access and encouraged countries to work together and increase their capacity to protect plant resources.

During the workshop, Uzbekistan announced that it is planning to soon become the IPPC’s 184th contracting party, while Azerbaijan was selected as the host of the next IPPC Regional Workshop for Europe and Central Asia, to be held in the first week of September 2020.

For more information, please see: - The report from this meeting will be posted on the IPP at https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/regional-ippc-workshops/ - Presentations from the 2019 IPPC Regional Workshop are posted here

The IPPC Regional Workshop participants in Chisinau, Moldova © National Food Safety Agency of Moldova