This Regional Priority Programme, implemented since 2016, consists of three main interrelated components.
While international trade policy is usually implemented at the border, adherence to food safety, quality standards, and controls for animal and plant diseases requires the support of national systems for disease prevention and control to facilitate the safe transfer and movement of food and agricultural commodities across borders. This means that a supportive policy environment for agrifood trade encompasses not only border policies, but also policies and institutions at national and enterprise levels. Effective markets and efficient, sustainable value chains will help all actors in the production chain play their part in a cohesive food system.
Featured news
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=998d2c36_2 "Türkiye’s unique pine honey is nationally protected thanks to new GI status")
Türkiye’s unique pine honey is nationally protected thanks to new GI status
09/10/2025
Türkiye produces most of the world’s pine honey, notably along the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. And now that pine honey – Türk Çam Balı...
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=88e127e7_2 "European Commission on Agriculture session to discuss producing more with less")
European Commission on Agriculture session to discuss producing more with less
02/10/2025
Today, the European...
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=45033b98_2 "Regional experts unite to strengthen defenses against animal diseases in Europe and Central Asia")
Regional experts unite to strengthen defenses against animal diseases in Europe and Central Asia
30/09/2025
More than 150 animal health experts, policymakers and international partners gathered in Belgrade from 22 to 25 September 2025 for the first Global...
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=82280a6c_2 "A champion for food security: fighting food loss and waste on the ground")
A champion for food security: fighting food loss and waste on the ground
29/09/2025
Every year, millions of tonnes of edible food are lost or wasted worldwide, while millions of people lack access to food. On this year’s International...
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=e6c7c899_2 "Foot and Mouth disease vaccination campaign FAO")
Armenia advances foot-and-mouth disease control with FAO and EuFMD support
29/08/2025
From 18 to 20 August 2025, Yerevan hosted the Progressive Control Pathway for FMD national workshop, which gathered government officials, veterinary...
Programme launched to transform food systems in Tajikistan for improved nutrition, inclusive growth and sustainability
15/07/2025
A new two-year joint programme focused on transforming food systems for better nutrition, launched today, is expected to directly benefit more than...
Azerbaijan goes digital: accelerating agricultural census methods through FAO support
09/07/2025
Agriculture is inherently exposed to a wide range of risks, from natural disasters to market volatility. As sustainability becomes an increasingly pressing...
FAO regional workshop discusses response to ruminant disease outbreaks in Europe
26/06/2025
In response to the recent and sudden surge of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) affecting ruminants across Europe this year, the Food and Agriculture...
FAO webinar helps strengthen national SDG reporting in Turkmenistan
20/06/2025
From 10 to 13 June 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a comprehensive four-day online webinar for national...
Smallholder woman farmer flourishing with innovative cheesemaking and modern dairy production practices in Georgia
06/06/2025
Amidst the citrus trees, cows crossing the streets and hazelnut orchards, a typical sight in the Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti region, Marina Kacharava, 69,...
New European plan aims to curb cormorant impacts on fisheries
05/06/2025
The population of great cormorants in Europe has increased in recent decades from some 50 000 birds in the 1970s to an estimated population of more...
Virtual training for veterinarians aids in the reporting and prevention of zoonoses
30/05/2025
Veterinarians are often the first to detect, prevent and respond to zoonoses, or diseases transmitted between humans and animals. As the world becomes...
FAO: Cross-border collaboration is key to eradicate peste des petits ruminants by 2030
23/05/2025
A three-day workshop aimed at strengthening regional cooperation for the surveillance and control of PPR is underway in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with support...
Where the wind carries hunger
13/05/2025
“The airborne spores of rusts do not respect borders, as Norman Borlaug indicated,” says Fazil Dusunceli, Plant Pathologist for the Food and Agriculture...
Uzbekistan pushes forward on PPR eradication with a national seromonitoring programme
07/05/2025
For farmers in Uzbekistan’s borderlands, even the threat of a sick goat can jeopardize an entire season.
For the first time, FAO offers regional virtual learning course on tackling food loss and waste
30/04/2025
Just a few days before Stop Food Waste Day on 30 April, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has successfully delivered...
Belarus committed to taking food control systems to the next level
25/04/2025
National food control systems, in line with internationally recognized food safety and quality standards, are a cornerstone of ensuring the safety and...
Endemic grape varieties attract agri-tourists
15/04/2025
Living amidst grapevines that have been around since the time of his ancestors, it is no wonder Givi Chubinidze became convinced to follow in their...
Events
25/9
2025
Online training: Application of the Regional Guidelines – Value Chain Development and Market Access for Non-Wood Forest Products
Virtual Event, 25/09/2025
Recognizing the need to improve value chain development and market access for NWFPs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has partnered with the Chamber of Forest Engineers of Türkiye to develop and implement the Regional Guidelines – Value Chain Development and Market Access for Non-Wood Forest Products in Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus to supp...
29/9
2025
Driving Food Waste Reduction: The Power of Stakeholder Engagement
Virtual Event, 29/09/2025
To mark the 2025 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), the FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium and the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) are co-hosting a webinar focused on the power of stakeholder engagement in reducing food waste.
11/6
2025
12/6
2025
Workshop “Developing national food systems-based dietary guidelines for Kyrgyzstan”
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 11/06/2025 - 12/06/2025
As part of the FAO project “Multisectoral Policy Recommendations for Addressing Malnutrition from an Agrifood System Perspective”, a national workshop will be held to support the development of Kyrgyzstan’s food systems-based dietary guidelines (FSBDGs). The workshop will bring together the Technical Task Team and national stakeholders to review progress, build capacity, and identify national h...
Contact
Mary Kenny
Food safety and consumer protection officer
20 Kalman Imre utca
H-1054 Budapest
Hungary
Tel: +36 1 8141-251
Previous initiatives
See also
Sustainable Development Goals
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