The Twinning Project "AZ 17 ENI AG 01 20: Strengthening Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures in Azerbaijan" has four major components (mandatory results) related to further alignment of legislation, development of a system for granting marketing authorization and effecting control of Plant Protection Products, development of residue monitoring programs and IT based phytosanitary information system. The project activities will focus on explanation of the objectives of EU legislative requirements and how these can be met, taking into account the specifics of the Azerbaijan. The Mandatory results will be achieved through numerous activities to be performed in the course of the Project: gap analysis, drafting relevant legislation, performing training for relevant staff of Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA) and other stakeholders, capacity building in the Official laboratories of AFSA. All of the activities of the Project shall be monitored on the quarterly basis by the members of the Steering Committee meetings.

The specific objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan to develop and enforce SPS compliant legislation with one focus on food and feed of plant origin.

Result 1: National secondary food safety legislation further aligned with the EU Acquis;
Result 2: Proposal for legislative framework and system of PPPs marketing authorization and control developed and approved by AFSA;
Result 3: Proposal for monitoring programmes for pesticide residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other undesired/forbidden substances in products of plant origin (with one focus on export destined products) developed and approved at AFSA level - and its implementation assisted;
Result 4: Proposal for IT based Phytosanitary Information System developed and approved by AFSA