On July 24-29, 2023, through the support of the European Union (EU), under ENPARD IV, an International FAO Expert, Joana Leal, visited Georgia and conducted four-day training sessions on the utilisation and control of veterinary medicines for the representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA), National Food Agency (NFA), and Revenue Service. The training aimed at providing technical advice and training on the control mechanisms in Georgia for veterinary medical products.

The EU-funded training sessions focused on: the evaluation and registration of veterinary medical products; pharmacosurveillance; medicated feed; controlling the use and occurrence of veterinary drug and antibiotics residues; evaluating antimicrobial resistance; providing expertise in antimicrobial diagnoses and surveillance.

Joana Leal also visited several farms to evaluate the veterinary medical products control capacities in Georgia, focusing on biosafety, availability of veterinary services, as well as veterinary medical products distribution and utilisation patterns.

Finally, the FAO expert participated in a Veterinary Medical Products Task Force meeting, which included FAO, MEPA and NFA members. The topics discussed were the organisation of competent authorities, residue management, antimicrobial resistance, and developing a strategic plan for improved veterinary medical product control. The Veterinary Medical Products Task Force is a technical platform to discuss EU regulations on veterinary medical products and support the Georgian public sector’s advancement in adherence to these regulations. 

“There is only One Health, and the veterinary medicines that we give to livestock have an impact on human health too. As an example, the resistance to antibiotics in humans is often due to the antibiotics that were given to animals, and we consume them when we eat products of animal origin. This is why the right utilisation of veterinary medicines by farmers, and the control by the competent authorities, is key to achieving improved food safety in Georgia. FAO, with EU support, is providing technical support to mainstream this concept of One Health in Georgia,” says Javier Sanz Alvarez, FAO Programme Coordinator.

Through the support of the EU, under its ENPARD Programme, FAO is working on improving food safety and Georgia’s phytosanitary and sanitary sectors. To this end, 116 employees of relevant competent authorities have already been trained on topics relating to food safety in Georgia. The knowledge-sharing and capacity-building modules developed based on the country’s needs for advancing food safety will continue through the support of the EU.

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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 is also 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.