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What ends up on our table? EU raises alarm over pesticides, food controls and corruption in the National Food Agency

2026-11-05 08:31:15Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

What ends up on our table? EU raises alarm over pesticides, food controls and

The European Commission raises concerns about food safety in Albania, highlighting deficiencies in the functioning of the National Food Authority (AKU), food product controls, pesticide monitoring and laboratory capacities.

It also calls for strengthening measures to prevent corruption in inspection and certification processes.

In the 2026 report on Albania, in chapter 12, which deals with food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policies, the European Commission emphasizes that Albanian legislation remains only partially aligned with European Union standards.

"For general food safety, the legal framework remains partially aligned with the EU General Food Regulation. The Law on Official Controls was adopted in June 2026," the report states.

One of the main issues is related to the functioning of the National Food Authority. The European Commission is calling for institutional reforms, including the merger of the NFA with the National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority, as well as the clarification of inspection powers.

"Institutional reforms are needed, in particular to merge the National Food Authority (NFA) with the National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority. Furthermore, the division of inspection tasks between the NFA and the General Inspectorate needs to be made clearer. Further efforts are needed on inspection statistics, data management and transparency," the European Commission stresses.

The report also calls for improving the implementation of legislation on official controls and ensuring sufficient administrative and financial resources.

Concerns are also raised about laboratories that perform food product analyses, which have not yet been designated according to European Union requirements.

"Official laboratories have not yet been designated in accordance with the principles of the Regulation on official controls. For the network of official laboratories, validated preliminary analysis methods still need to be established, to guarantee the reliability of the results for the relevant species and products. Further efforts are needed for capacity development, accreditation and validation of methods," the report states.

The European Commission also calls for the strengthening of border controls, while active border control points must be aligned with EU requirements at the time of accession.

Another issue is related to pesticide residues in food and the measures taken when products are found to not meet standards.

"For pesticide residues, Albania still needs to improve the implementation of measures taken in cases of non-compliance and increase transparency," the report emphasizes.

In the same chapter, the European Commission calls for improved monitoring of pesticide residues, while highlighting that Albania should draft a national program to improve milk quality.

"Albania needs to develop a national program to improve milk quality. No progress has been reported on specific rules for animal feed and much work remains to be done," the report says.

Shortcomings are also evident in the veterinary sector, particularly in animal traceability, disease surveillance, and laboratory capacities.

"Traceability, surveillance analysis and laboratory capacities for specific pathogens are not fully developed, which reduces the system's ability to detect risk trends early, prioritize controls and demonstrate progress," the European Commission states.

The report also highlights that Albania has not yet established a system in line with EU requirements for the collection, storage and processing of animal by-products.

Particular attention is paid to the risk of corruption in veterinary and phytosanitary inspections. The European Commission calls for strengthening the transparency, accountability and integrity of inspection and certification processes.

"In the fight against corruption, the National Cross-Sectoral Anti-Corruption Strategy aims to ensure accountability and ethical governance. Albania should continue efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability, particularly in phytosanitary and veterinary inspections. Measures to prevent corruption risks and guarantee the integrity of inspection and certification processes should be strengthened," the European Commission report states.


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