OREANDA-NEWS. August 15, 2014. About 40 economic agents of the agri-food sector participated in a practical seminar on free trade with the EU, held in Chisinau, and organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), in concert with the European Business Association (EBA).

The training course was carried out within a project titled. ”Moldova-EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. Business People Informing and Capacity Building.”.

The head of the CCI’s economics department, Sergiu Harea, said “entering any new sales market requires good documentation and information. Given that Moldovan goods are not quite known by consumers from the EU states, and our producers do not know the requirements and rules of access on the EU market, CCI and EBA asked for international experts’ support.”.

The EU gave us a wide openness, and adjusting to new circumstances, exploring a new market, where there are new standards and fierce competition, is a challenge for the Moldovan entrepreneurs” Harea said.

The participants in the training course got practical information on norms of the production process, certification, customs administration, negotiations and trade on the EU market. In the context, Belgian lecturer, expert in EU relations Luc Van Looveren positively appreciated that the entrepreneurs had opportunity to inform and train. “During the week, we held similar seminars in Balti, Edinet, Soroca, Comrat, Cahul etc. Business people were interested in rates for import/export, tariff quotas for Moldova and technical requirements. We have provided a number of EU web resources, where this information is published and updated permanently, so that they could permanently monitor the situation”, Luc Van Looveren said.

Also, the participants were aware of the mandatory standards for agricultural products and foodstuffs, voluntary standards without which they will not be able to market their goods, he also noted.

The above-mentioned project is carried out by CCI and EBA, and financed by the International Financial Corporation and Swedish government. Given the large number of demands, the training cycle on trade on the EU market will continue in next September and October.