From November 11 to 16, 2024, within the framework of the “Establishment of a functional Animal Identification and Registration System in Armenia” project financed by Austrian development Agency and implemented by the CARD Foundation the fourth mission of the Austrian organization Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA) took place in the Republic of Armenia. The mission was carried out by Austrian experts Mr. Rudolf Moser and Mrs. Martina Huber.
The main objective of the visit was to support the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia in developing the legislative framework related to the «Enhanced Animal Identification and Registration System in Armenia for Sustainable Agricultural» project. During the mission, the experts met with Mr. Vahe Ghalumyan, Chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Deputy Minister of Economy Mrs. Tatevik Sargsyan and her team, as well as legal experts in the sector. The discussions focused on the effectiveness of the existing legal framework, identified regulatory gaps, and explored possible approaches to addressing them.
The experts presented Austrian best practices and shared the legal mechanisms and precedents applied in Austria and the European Union in the areas of animal identification and registration, data management, and slaughterhouse regulation. The discussions also covered the legal and practical basis for introducing slaughter premiums (subsidies), which could encourage farmers to transition from backyard slaughter to slaughtering at licensed slaughterhouses.
As a result, a preliminary legislative model for the further development of the AIR system was developed, incorporating both the necessary legal clarifications and practical governance and oversight mechanisms. The proposed recommendations are expected to serve as the basis for drafting legislation regulating the sector. The integration of international experience will contribute to strengthening institutional capacities and ensuring the sector’s long-term sustainable development.
The mission represents an important step toward the development of legislation on Animal Identification and Registration, as well as the improvement of the regulatory framework governing slaughterhouse operations.
