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The European Union market is now open to Armenian fishery products, and all the necessary regulatory procedures have been completed. Companies wishing to export to the EU now need only apply to Armenia's Food Safety Inspectorate to begin the process.
Tigran Petrosyan, head of the Food Safety Inspectorate, said the achievement was the result of years of coordinated work. He noted that both the government and the private sector have now reached the stage where exports of Armenian fishery products to the EU can begin in practice.
"One company has already officially applied to the Food Safety Inspectorate to export Armenian fishery products to the EU market. However, interest is much broader. I can say that 97% of Armenia's fish product producers are ready to export their products to the European Union," Petrosyan said.
Companies interested in exporting to the EU must be registered in the TRACES system, the European Union's platform for the certification and traceability of animals, food and feed.
To obtain registration, businesses must submit an application to the Food Safety Inspectorate either electronically or in paper form. Petrosyan said detailed information on the required documents will be published on the inspectorate's official website, Snund.am.
"There is no complicated procedure and no special documentation is required. These are documents that businesses already possess. Once an application is submitted, the inspectorate reviews the documents and then conducts an audit of the company. If all requirements are met, the company is registered in the TRACES system, which automatically generates a unique identification code. Once the company receives that code, it can export its products to any EU member state," he said.
The TRACES registration code is issued without an expiration date. However, the inspectorate will conduct inspections of registered companies at least once a year.
On July 20, the Food Safety Inspectorate will host four experts from the European Union to discuss the practical arrangements for the first shipment of Armenian fishery products to the EU.