TIRANA, December 22 – Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday that the national platform Euro Agro Albania served as a practical working tool for farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs preparing for European Union membership. He made the remarks at the event “With Farmers in Albania 2030.”

Rama explained that the platform supported step-by-step preparation toward the EU. He stressed that it did not function as a simple website but as a practical instrument for sector development.

He said Euro Agro Albania aimed to help farmers who invested, produced, and sought to increase exports, quality, and production capacity. In addition, he noted that the platform supported access to funding for agricultural projects.

According to Rama, the platform acted as a guide throughout the negotiation process and along the path to EU membership. He added that it provided information on standards, deadlines, and concrete obligations arising from the process.

The prime minister said the platform also functioned as a channel for dialogue and coordination between farmers and state institutions. He explained that users could communicate directly, raise concerns, and receive responses through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development.

Meanwhile, Rama expressed his intention to include the Agricultural University of Tirana in the platform. He described this step as opening a new door for farmers through a renewed approach and expanded expertise.

Rama’s statements followed the opening of Chapter Group 5 at the seventh Intergovernmental Conference with the European Union. This development marked the start of a new phase for Albanian agriculture.

At the center of this phase stood Chapter 11 on Agriculture and Rural Development, Chapter 12 on Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy, and Chapter 13 on Fisheries. These chapters formed the core of reforms aimed at aligning Albania’s agricultural sector with European Union standards.

/a.p./