The International Conference on Food Quality and Safety" was held in Tirana during the period 21-22 September 2001. It was a join efforts of many organizations and institutions namely: Food Research Institute, Veterinary Research Institute, Public Health Institute, Delta SA, Hellenic Catering, Tsantalis and Nestle Co. The organization of this conference was supported by IFDC/AAATA programme, GTZ, Land O'Lakes an TEI Selanik.

The aims of this conference were to: i) give a broad picture of what is done so far in respect to the food quality, safety and control, ii) exchange the experience and knowledge with neighboring countries, iii) discuss a alternative platform to deal with the issue as well as with outstanding problems, iv) to find other way of integrating neighboring countries' experience in the daily work of our institutions involved in food quality, safety and control.

Among the issues discussed in this conference we could mention the problems related to the quality and safety of foods, food legislation, food control etc. Referees from neighboring countries allowed the conference participants to be better informed on what is going on in other countries of Balkan region and to reflect alternative ways of incorporating such experience in their work.

More detailed information you could get by contacting Mr. Ylli BICOKU, Deputy Chief of Party at Tel: 00 355 4 223638 or ylli@ifdcalbania.org

Agriculture University of Tirana in collaboration with Albanian Center for Economic Research have organized on 8 June 2001 a National Conference titled "Albanian Agriculture in Tranzition: Agriculture Policies followed in Albania during the last decade, Dignosis and Prospects". The conference was perceived more like a analysis of the agrarian policies followed and their impacts in the development paths of albanian agriculture sector.

Two were the main agriculture policy fields of conference works: i) agriculture and livestock productsion, land use and land ownership and ii) agribisness, agro-processing and marketing. Together with analysis of agriculture policies, there were also analysed the impacts of these policies in the actual developments.

Each of the conference speaker at the end of his/her speech, lied down some policy highlights/options to be taken into account in the future by high level decision-makers.

The proceedings of the conference were gathered, edited and published in a book in both languages, Englsih and Albania. Soon, they will also be available in Internet in *.pdf format.