“Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready take concrete steps in establishing an efficient system of managing animal by-products and animal waste to achieve higher level of protection of public and animal health, as well as of the environment,” was concluded yesterday during the conference in Sarajevo. The conference was organised within the EU funded project aimed at assisting BiH in further improvements in in prevention and control of infectious animal diseases through establishing a harmonised approach in managing animal by-products and animal waste in BiH.
Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to BiH Melvin Asin, stressed the benefits of the project results in reducing risks for human and animal health, protecting environment, but also in increasing the economic potential of BiH. He said that the European Union will continue to support BiH in the veterinary sector. “The project produced a strategy for the management of animal waste and by-products. By implementing this strategy BiH will also get closer to satisfy EU requirements for export of meat, meat products and live animals to the EU. It will enable processing animal by-products into inputs that could be reused in various industries. The system in place would also contribute to reducing costs of production and increase competitiveness of BiH products in other markets,” said Asin.
Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Mirko Šarović welcomed the collaboration between competent institutions, the private sector and the project team in producing a number of valuable documents and above all the Strategy on Animal By-Products Management and the Feasibility Study. “Significant results were achieved in raising awareness and strengthening administrative capacities, which are necessary if we wish to achieve visible results in this demanding area in order to protect public health” said Minister Šarović.
By developing a Strategy for BiH and a comprehensive action and implementation plan for short, medium and long term measures, the project has established a strategic framework for addressing management of animal by-products and animal waste in BiH in line with EU requirements. The project has also produced a Feasibility study with detailed estimates of quantities of by-products, the most acceptable technologies and proposed locations for the processing plants. The project developed a system for waste collection and transport, and proposed a financial plan for the establishment and maintenance of animal by-products and animal waste system in BiH.
Director of the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr Ljubomir Kalaba, emphasized the importance of proper and safe managing by-products of animal origin and stressed that uncontrolled disposal of animal corpses and other animal by-products allows circulation of the causative agents of infectious diseases, as well as all potentially dangerous agents that occur uncontrolled by decomposing organic waste. “This strategy will help BiH in efficiently managing animal by-products and animal waste to reduce risks to animal and human health,” said Kalaba.
The project “Technical Assistance in the Management of Animal By-products and Animal Waste in Bosnia-Herzegovina” is funded by the European Union in the amount of EUR 1. 673.000. The project was designed to provide support to relevant institutions in BiH in the field of veterinary and environment, in establishing a system of animal by-animal products and animal waste management, in line with EU standards, to reduce risks to human and animal health as well as to environment, and contribute to increasing economic potential of BiH.
