In the period from March 25 to April 3, 2014, the inspection in Bosnia and Herzegovina was conduced by experts of FVO (Food and Veterinary Office) of the European Commission to assess whether  they are standardized and  implementing all the necessary activities and measures in connection with the successful control of quarantine pests of potatoes set up in EU legislation, or whether all of the requirements for granting export of potatoes from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union.

During this visit, FVO experts visited the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Administration for Plant Health, the competent authorities of entities and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, authorized institutions for laboratory testing, specific places of production, ie., producers, processing and distribution centers, as well as warehouses for mercantile and seed potato. If the report of the FVO mission is to be positive, we can expect placing Bosnia and Herzegovina on the list of countries from which imports of potatoes to the EU is allowed, which has enormous practical significance for all domestic producers of potatoes.

     Within the mission on March 31, 2014, FVO experts visit and inspect the Laboratory for Plant Protection at Agrucultural Institute of Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka, which is one of the responsible institutions for the implementation of the "Program for special control (control system) of quarantine pests of potatoes in Bosnia and Herzegovina" during the past three years. Agricultural Institute is authorized institution for visual inspections and sampling, and laboratory testing for the detection and identification of quarantine plant pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum - the causal agent of potato brown rot, Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus - the causal agent of potato ring rot and quarantine phytopathogenic fungi Synchitrium endobioticum - the causal agent of potato wort.

      Based on the results of the inspection in the preliminary and final report of the FVO experts evaluated the work of the Laboratory for Plant Protection at Agrucultural Institute of Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka as an extremely organized, and that the detection methods used fully consistent with those applied in the EU.

Reception of FVO experts and representatives of relevant institutions - Administration Bosnia and Herzegovina for Plant Health Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Srpska at director of the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka

FVO experts with the staff of the Laboratory of Plant Protection of Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka during the inspection

FVO experts with the staff of the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka and the phytosanitary inspector during the inspection of storage of seed potatoes from the manufacturer Milos Straživuk from the village Vilusi, municipality Gradiška

FVO experts with the staff of the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka during the inspection of storage of potatoes from the manufacturer Branko Mastalo from village Kosjerovo, municipality Laktaši

A demonstration of the process of sampling by the staff of the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska - Banja Luka during the inspection of storage of potatoes from the manufacturer Branko Mastalo from village Kosjerovo, municipality Laktaši