Internationalisation of SME’s from the Western Balkans in the agri-food sector
Practical information and links to more training opportunities
Despite the improvement in market access, SMEs from the Western Balkans do not fully take
advantage of the potential offered by the European Single Market. According to the latest SME Policy Index 2022, the lack of information about the rules applied in the European Union, as well as sufficient language skills are some of the reasons.
The companies taking part in ETF’s project “Up-skilling and re-skilling the agri-food sector in the Western Balkans” expressed internationalisation as a topic of interest to learn more about. SMEs need access to reliable and efficient quality infrastructure services that help them to ensure that their products are in line with EU standards and regulations.
Therefore, our first coaching session for our companies was dedicated to this topic. We invited, Ms Monica May from the Turin Chamber of Commerce and expert in internationalisation of SMEs within the EEN Network to provide us with some useful tips and tricks for the partners of our project.
Food labelling
Nowadays, people are paying more and more attention to buying healthy food and “zero km food” that comes from local producers. Consumers can make better choices of the food they buy thanks to the labels that are put on the food products. Food labels have to contain information about the content and composition of the food.
The EU has established EU Regulation n. 1169/2011 that lays down the general principles of food labelling.
Additional regulations/directives for specific food products: https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/labelling-and-nutrition_en
Specific regulations are in place for food supplements. For the companies that are producing, selling or importing food supplements, you need to ensure that it complies with the following EU rules. The European Food Safety Authority, EFSA provides some specific guidance and advice on food supplements regulations: Food supplements | EFSA (europa.eu)
Since January 2022, new regulations on organic production and labelling of organic products are put in place : https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/organic-farming/legislation_en…
For those companies that are manufacturing and want to trade within the EU single market, you need the CE Marking. The letters ‘CE’ appear on many products traded on the extended Single Market in the European Economic Area (EEA). They signify that products sold in the EEA have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
The Access2markets portal
Access2Markets is the portal for EU exporters and importers to find detailed information on
- tariffs
- rules of origin
- taxes and additional duties
- import procedures and formalities
- product requirements
- trade barriers
- trade flow statistics
We strongly advise you to consult the online assistant ““My Trade Assistant” to search for specific information about importing to the EU. You can for example find out what EU regulation and taxes apply when importing fertilisers from Serbia to Italy.
Try it out here: https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/home
Training opportunities
Virtual training on Access2Markets platform: 26 September 2023
On how to use its different import and export sections, how to access the list of identified trade barriers, an overview of how to contact the Single Entry Point for trade barriers, trade statistics, Rules of Origin Self-Assessment tool (ROSA) with a live Q&A session
Register your interest here
The business wave podcast
With a first session with Innovation consultant, Rim Stroeks from the Centre for Innovation and Technology, ZENIT in Germany. Why is having an innovation strategy so important for small companies? Innovation is a buzz word, but what does it actually mean and how to start being innovative? Listen here:
Episode 1: How innovation can supercharge your small business (buzzsprout.com)
How to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in small businesses, Eniola Harrison, Director at the IE Africa Centre. For GEN Z, your future consumers DEI is important so you need to be
DEI has to be linked to your organisational goals. Get feedback from your employees on how to become more inclusive. Listen to get more tips for your DEI strategy
Episode 2: Why entrepreneurs should champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
(buzzsprout.com)
EEN Network
We suggest you to subscribe to the EEN network, they can provide you with advise on what is the best market for your business, on intellectual property and information on EU laws and standards (labelling, product’s safety etc).
Contact your local EEN network contact point:
Local contact points in Albania | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
Local contact points in Bosnia And Herzegovina | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
Local contact points in Kosovo | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
Local contact points in Montenegro | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
Local contact points in North Macedonia | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
Local contact points in Serbia | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu)
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