Closing Conference of the twinning project “Further Development of Chemicals and Biocides Products Management in the Republic of Serbia” was held on 2^nd of March 2018. This project, worth 1,000,000 EUR, was financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Republic of Serbia. Strategic goal of the Republic of Serbia is the European Union membership. In order to meet the accession conditions, Serbia needs to be harmonized with the EU acquis. One of the most comprehensive set of legislation, standards and rules that Serbia needs to be harmonized with is the EU acquis of the Chapter 27 Environment and Climate Change. Serbia is committed to improvement of the environment, which is supported with the reestablishment of the Ministry of Environmental Protection last year, and the European Union is a strong partner on this way.

One of the ways the EU supports candidate countries is through the instrument for pre-accession assistance. Thus, by this project financed with the pre-accession funds, the EU provided Serbia with technical assistance for further improvement of chemicals and biocidal products management. The main goal of the project was to support Serbia in preparations for implementation of the EU acquis on chemicals and biocides. The results of the project will contribute that Serbia meets the criteria for accession under the Chapter 27.

The project was implemented as a twining contract in cooperation with the Slovenian Ministry of Health, Chemicals’ Office, and the Environment Agency of Austria, between September 2015 and February 2018. The success of the project at hand is yet another confirmation that twinning projects are an important instrument for mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and the candidate country.

This Twinning brought Serbia closer to the EU legislation on chemicals and biocides and its best practices. Experts from the EU member states’ institutions, in close cooperation with Serbian experts, developed recommendations for further alignment of the current legal framework for management of biocides in Serbia with the requirements of the EU legislation, as well as recommendations for  implementation of the overall EU acquis governing placing of chemicals and biocides on the market. In addition, the results of the project comprise improved administrative practice, professional experience, knowledge and skills of the employees of the Ministry in charge of chemicals and biocides. Beside the civil servants, the EU experts trained representatives of the scientific community in order to increase Serbia’s capacity to implement demanding procedures envisaged by the acquis. The quality of the results achieved may be regarded as good and their sustainability would be reflected in the appropriate implementation of the legislation after the accession and the effective contribution of Serbia to the achievement of the EU safe chemicals policy goals.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection was the primary beneficiary of the assistance; however, positive outcomes of the project reach far further. The project contributed to improved chemicals and biocides management which as a consequence brought benefits to both, economic operators and general public i.e. Serbian citizens. For example, benefits to the economy are reflected in the innovation promotion, a better business environment and enhanced capacity of companies placing chemicals on the market to join the level playing field of the single market. Benefits to general public comprise safe use of chemicals and high-level protection of human health and the environment.