Todorović: We expect Albania to withdraw the controversial provision on the import of medicines

Published on November 19, 2014.

Assistant Minister Bojana Todorović told RTS that Serbia will take countermeasures, if Albania does not revoke the controversial provision of the law which states that before exporting medicines to Albania, Balkan countries must first register them in the EU. Our exporters will not be able to register drugs and export them in a short time, explained Todorović.

In an interview for the “RTS Dnevnik”, Bojana Todorović said that Albania has not yet replied as to why the rule on drug registration is valid only for Balkan countries, adding that she expects that an agreement will be reached soon.

“This provision of the law is not being enforced yet. The Albanian Law came into force on September, but its full implementation begins on the first of March. That period is very short for registration in the EU, and it is not certain whether our factories will be able to register their medicines in this period,” said Todorović.

Assistant Minister Todorović notes that contact has been made with the competent Albanian Ministry, with our exporters of drugs, and with the representatives of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are also affected by this measure.

At this point there is no response from the Albanian side, says Todorović, and indicates that it is very strange that Albania is discriminating only Balkan countries, which are signatories to the Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).

Todorovic underlined that they are taking all possible measures in order to eliminate the controversial provision from the law, but if negotiations fail, Serbia will take countermeasures.

In an answer to the question whether, if a solution is found, Serbia might prohibit imports from Albania, Todorović gave a positive response.
She pointed out that the EU has been notified of the dispute with provision on drugs, and that it supports Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia in order to resolve the problem as soon as possible and protect their exporters.

Assistant Minister Todorović recalled that this is not the first controversy in CEFTA, and that Serbia had problems earlier with the export of wheat and flour to Macedonia, and that it still has unresolved disputes with Bosnia and Herzegovina.