Next year will mark a major milestone for CEFTA

The coming year will mark a major milestone for CEFTA – the transition from undertaken commitments to their full implementation, announced the Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, Pranvera Kastrati.

"Electronic certificates, risk-based controls and real-time data exchange will become the new normal, improving efficiency, reducing costs and increasing the competitiveness of farmers and exporters across the CEFTA region," Kastrati said at the regional conference Secure Trade, Strong Growth: Advancing Agri-Trade in the CEFTA Region, held in Sarajevo.

Reflecting on the concrete results of the CEFTA digital path, Kastrati shared a strong message about the practical impact of the CEFTA agreement.

"Intra-CEFTA trade in fruit and vegetables reached 233,1 million euros last year, an increase of 9,11 percent compared to the previous year and an impressive growth of 154,7 percent compared to 2014, now accounting for 9,85 percent of total CEFTA trade in agricultural products," Kastrati specified.

This success, she explained, is the result of concrete reforms introduced by the CEFTA Decision on Facilitating Trade in Fruit and Vegetables, which significantly reduced unnecessary controls, accelerated digitalization, and strengthened food safety and plant health systems.

The conference was hosted by Bosnia and Herzegovina, within its chairmanship of the CEFTA Subcommittee on Agriculture and SPS, and the event served as an important platform for strengthening regional cooperation and supporting greater alignment with EU standards in the field of agri-food products and SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) measures.

The conference was organized by the SEED+ action, implemented by the CEFTA Secretariat and funded by the European Union (EU), in partnership with the EU4Trade project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with co-financing from the Union.

The event highlighted the region's shared commitment to safer and more integrated agri-food trade.

Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (MfTER) of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chair of the CEFTA Subcommittee on Agriculture and SPS, Slobodan Cvijanović, said that the event was focused on improving trade in agricultural products and strengthening a secure agri-food market in the region.

"Key topics included the digitalization of procedures, strengthening risk-based controls, and improved coordination among SPS institutions - all with the aim of ensuring faster, safer, and more predictable trade in agricultural products," said Cvijanović.

Participants, he added, emphasized the importance of systems such as SEED+ and CEFTA TRACES NT, which help reduce administrative burdens and increase institutional trust.

"This is the final event during BiH's CEFTA presidency this year, which once again confirms the strong commitment to supporting CEFTA parties in strengthening their capacities and preparing for the next phase of regional integration in the coming year," said Cvijanović.

Head of Operation 2, Sector for Socio-Economic Convergence and Sustainability at the EU Delegation to BiH, Antonella di Sandri, stressed that this year's enlargement package confirms that the path to EU membership remains open and achievable for the Western Balkans, provided that reforms continue and cooperation deepens.

"In this process, gradual integration – especially in areas such as agriculture, trade and digitalisation – is already bringing tangible benefits to citizens and the economy. The EU's €6 billion Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will further support these efforts, helping to strengthen competitiveness, attract investment and open up new opportunities across the region," said Di Sandri.

According to her, safe trade builds trust, and trust builds growth.

"By working together, CEFTA and the EU are laying the foundations for stronger regional cooperation, sustainable agriculture and the next steps towards full European integration," Di Sandri stated.

The Regional Agricultural Advisor for the Western Balkans at the German Embassy in North Macedonia, Frank Müller, announced that the common goal is to make trade in agri-food products safer, faster and more predictable - for farmers, consumers and the economy across the region.

"Germany, together with the EU, will continue to support regional economic cooperation and sustainable trade in agri-food products, ensuring that these markets not only foster stronger regional growth and progress of the Western Balkans on the path to the EU single market, but also contribute to sustainable development and the broader EU integration process in the region," said Müller.

The Director of the Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Affairs Administration of Montenegro, Vladimir Đaković, said that CEFTA has made visible progress in building a functional regional market, especially through improving cooperation between competent authorities and introducing electronic data exchange.

"The success of the SPS system is based on trust and strong institutional capacities. Montenegro strongly supports the strengthening of inspection services so that products meet the same requirements as those on the EU market. We are committed to sharing our experience from the processes leading to EU accession, because regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and harmonized rules bring concrete economic benefits, which means lower costs, faster flow of goods and greater competitiveness," said Đaković.

The conference confirmed the common ambition of the CEFTA parties to strengthen the Common Regional Market, improve competitiveness and deepen cooperation with the EU.

SEED+ and EU4Trade presented current achievements and defined priorities for modern, harmonized and digitally supported agri-food trade systems.

SEED+ Project Manager, Edna Karadža, said that she is proud to say that SEED+ is the backbone of the digital connectivity of the CEFTA region.

"It connects people, customs, inspections and administrations, enabling fast, secure and transparent data exchange. Together we shorten waiting times, reduce administrative burdens and help our economies trade smarter," concluded Karadža.