Food safety law starts controversy between business and Agriculture Ministry

TIRANA, Nov. 28- The draft law on food safety standards has been firmly opposed by the local producing business which claims it hurts competitively and is out of EU standards for law. Business claims it is also very unattractive for foreign investors and it is subject for conflict of interest to the harm of consumers. “Our concerns are connected to the deviations of this law form the practices in the EU,” explains Gjergj Buxhuku, administrator of Konfindustria. The most controversial part of the law is that which gives the capacity to the Ministry of Agriculture to have authority over the authority of food safety control which for business is conflict of interest but for Agriculture Minister Gjana is only more work for his institution. Gjana also denies the claims of business and says the law is perfectly compatible with EU practices since it has been drafted borrowing form those. Passing the authority for the Ministry of Health towards that of Agriculture as far as safety control is concerned has provoked resistance from business. As Buxhuku explains in the EU all the health rules are fixed by the EU Parliament law while here in Albania the law will only give more authority to one person only, the Agriculture Minister.”