March 24, 2009
Romania urges time extension for milk processing upgrades
Romania has asked the European Commission to extend by more than a year the transition time required to upgrade milk processing units and comply with EU hygiene standards on the quality of raw milk, according to the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) on Sunday (Mar 22).
The Romanian authorities have agreed to send the European Commission by July 31 an updated report of the units for which they requested the time extension.
The authorities also discussed with European Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou problems related to Romania's compliance to the EU requirements on animal health and food safety.
Romania joins the group of EU member states that wants electronic identification of livestock to be optional as the measure is inadequate amid the current economic crisis due to the high costs, officials said.
