The fifth Steering Committee meeting of the Twinning Project MK 24 IPA AG 01 24 approved the quarterly report and work plan, confirming progress in aligning North Macedonia’s phytosanitary system with EU standards. Advances were achieved in IPM, legislation, laboratories and monitoring activities. Technical missions continue, including training on pine wood nematode prevention.

Within the European Union funded Twinning project aimed at strengthening North Macedonia’s phytosanitary services, technical and training activities continue alongside legislative alignment efforts. Field missions, monitoring through pheromone traps and studies on harmful organisms, including Capnodis tenebrionis, support knowledge transfer, institutional cooperation and the protection of agricultural production across the national system.

A technical visit in Negotino brought together Italian experts, agricultural institutions and local winegrowers to assess pheromone traps within integrated pest management for vineyards. The activity supported agrometeorological and plant health bulletins, strengthening pest monitoring, timely decisions, reduced pesticide use and environmental sustainability through field observations and direct collaboration among experts, institutions and growers locally.

On 18 March, the Kick-off Meeting of the administrative twinning project “Strengthening the National Phytosanitary System” took place at the Marriott Hotel in Skopje. This is the second phytosanitary Twinning project supporting North Macedonia, financed with EUR 1.5 million under the IPA instrument and with a duration of 29 months.