After signing the DCFTA, Moldova has undertaken the task to adapt its national food safety legislation to the requirements of the relevant EU laws and regulations. In order to reduce the technical barriers to trade and to increase access to and trade with the EU market, Moldova needs to achieve a higher level of compliance with EU technical requirements such as standards, technical regulations and product-related directives and needs to upgrade related controls or conformity assessment.
Thus, this Action supports Moldova in improving the standards compliance through increased national capacities for residue monitoring in close cooperation with National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) and its subordinate laboratories (main partners and beneficiaries), government institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI), Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Health as well as Food business operators, farms, SMEs and veterinarians and pharmacies.
This Action is proposed in line with the European Green Deal and the Farm2Fork strategy and will directly contribute to the EU’s Annual Action Plan for 2021, in particular: Output 1.3: National capacities for residues monitoring in agri-food products increased.
The Action will contribute to the accomplishment of the 2nd General Objective of the National Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy (SNDAR) 2023-2030 “Development of the food industry and diversification of markets”, and the Food Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova for 2023-2030.
The Action will promote SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production through its contribution to UNIDO Country Programme for Moldova 2019 – 2023 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) of the Republic of Moldova 2023-2027.

The overall objective of this Action is to enhance national consumer safety and access to safe, healthy and nutritious food and to improve trade opportunities and create a conducive business environment for SMEs, thus contributing to resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economic development as well as paving the way to a fully-fledged Green Deal for the Republic of Moldova.
The specific objective of the Action is to increase national capacities for residue monitoring in animal feed and products of animal origin (pesticides, veterinary medicine, contaminants and prohibited substances).

• Improved practices of competent authorities (ANSA and MAFI) through good governance and revamped legal and regulatory framework. Institutional strengthening of the ANSA and MAFI through capacity building, use of best practices, skills development, and implementation of management systems.
• Improved practices of national reference laboratories through expanded testing capacities, demonstrating proof of compliance. Strengthening the National reference laboratories through capacity building, use of best practices, skills development, procurement of minor laboratory equipment and implementation of management systems, accreditation and validation of methods to ensure quality and international recognition of their services with a focus on pesticide and veterinary drug residues.
• SMEs and FBOs' awareness and application of best practices in compliance with standards and technical regulations in the value chains of meat, poultry and milk products are enhanced. Improving compliance capacity and awareness through specialised training and capacity building for SMEs and FBOs.