A training workshop was held on the Trade Control and Expert System New Technology (TRACES NT) on the Academy of the Ministry of Finance premises. Revenue Services (RS) and the National Food Agency (NFA) technical employees attended the two-day educational module. The training was implemented by the Agriconsulting Group S.A. (AESA) as part of the “Better Training for Safer Food” (BTSF) initiative of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission, in collaboration with FAO under the ENPARD IV project financed by the EU and Sweden. The Ministry of Finance and NFA supported the training. 

The training session aimed at sharing practical knowledge on TRACES NT with key state institutions to help them in utilising this tool, which will contribute to advancing food safety standards in import and export-related procedures.

First launched in 2004, TRACES is the European Commission’s online management tool for intra-EU trade and importation of animals, food, feed, and plants. This advanced system digitalises the certification process and related procedures in adherence with the declaration of the Digital Agenda for Europe.

A total of 20 employees of NFA and 15 representatives of RS attended the training sessions. They gained practical knowledge of how TRACES NT can be managed by Georgian state institutions while learning about the updated features of the computerised-based tool. The training participants also learned more about the EU's sanitary and phytosanitary requirements because the tool has been created and functions in adherence with the EU law.

The utilisation of TRACES NT is essential in increasing the competitiveness of Georgia’s agricultural industry. The tool also ensures that the country’s consumers have access to better food since it implies further advancing the national sanitary and phytosanitary control systems.

“The utilisation of TRACES NT is an absolute must when it comes to opening opportunities to trade with the European Union. By using this computerised-based platform, Georgia has the opportunity to improve its food safety standards for the local consumers as well. For this reason, FAO, through the support of the EU and Sweden, supports the training of key stakeholders from Georgia’s food safety competent authorities on the use of TRACES NT. This is yet another step in the process of Georgia joining the European Union, which FAO fully supports,” says the FAO Programme Coordinator Javier Sanz Alvarez.

“Implementing TRACES NT in Georgia will be an important milestone for the country with its aspiration of joining the EU. In fact, this is one of the key steps toward realising the immense potential of Georgia’s agriculture industry internationally. AESA’s training module provides the country’s state institution representatives with the knowledge and skills to align with the EU’s food safety, sanitary, and phytosanitary standards. With TRACES NT, Georgia can create great export opportunities while advancing the production of high-quality food products for Georgian consumers. Therefore, the EU Delegation to Georgia, under ENPARD IV, in partnership with FAO, is proud to support this educational program,” says Ketevan Khutsishvili, the Programme Manager for Emergency Management, Civil Protection, Rural Development, and Intellectual Property Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.

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The European Union supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD Programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013. The Programme started by supporting the development of national agriculture potential. Afterwards, it concentrated also on creating economic opportunities for rural populations in Georgia. Since 2021, the Programme has also been working on improving food safety in the country, with the support of FAO and the Czech Development Agency as the main implementers of this food safety component under ENPARD IV.

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BTSF is an initiative of the European Commission’s Health and Food Safety Directorate-General (DG SANTE) aimed at organizing a European Union (EU) training strategy in the areas of food law, feed law, animal health and animal welfare rules, as well as plant health rules.