ASSESSING FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS COMPLIANCE: A CASE STUDY OF KOSOVO

This paper aims to assess food safety standards compliance on Kosovo. While trade barriers are being steadily reduced, the attention has been shifted on food safety standards, which subsequently have a direct effect on the access of developing countries in global markets. Substantial investments in the field of food safety standards are required to be implemented in developing countries, so that the output is in accordance with the regulatory requirements and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures. In reality, the developed countries set the regulations which apply in trade; hence, the burden falls in the developing countries. As a result, due to the lack of sufficient resources, Kosovo is failing to comply with international practices and regulations. Given the complexity of the topic, the UNIDO cost benefit approach was undertaken. The approach measures three indicators of a country's standard compliance capacity: i) import rejection data; ii) buyers' perceptions on the compliance capacity; and iii) Trade Standards Compliance Capacity Index. As such, a comprehensive picture on Kosovo's compliance with the food safety standards was created. A consensus among researchers has been reached in highlighting that the exports of developing countries are negatively affected from the food safety standards In accordance, the model shows that SPS measures are highly subjective and allow room for interpretation; therefore, there is room for manipulation. Throughout history, Kosovo has been denied access to export markets under the pretext of failing to meet the food safety standards and regulations. However, findings show that buyers are optimistic on the potential benefits which may derive from imposing food safety standards Last but not least, the findings show that Kosovo needs more financial and technical support in complying with the safety regulations and standards.