Armenia to rule out illegal drug import from EEU – official

13:48 * 28.02.15

As long as the drug import among the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)
member states remains legally unregulated, any drugs imported to
Armenia from the common trade zone will have to undergo corresponding
procedures before entering the market, says the head of the Scientific
Centre of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise

“The legislation for the EEU area will be regulated starting from
January 2016, but Armenia is already an EEU member. So the only
problem today is that drugs imported to Armenia from the EEU may not
have a registration. But for Armenia, only registered drugs are
entitled to import,” Hakob Topchyan told Tert.am.

He explained that many drugs registered in other member states of the
economic bloc (which allows the free movement of goods across the
trade zone) may pave their way also to the domestic market, making
Armenia practically an illegal drug importer.

“Starting from 2016, the EEU will have a common drug register; [once
it is in effect], we will not have to follow this procedure. So we are
not complicating the issue today but just making clarifications to
regulate the domain. Any company importing drugs moves the goods to
storages after importing them from the EEU and later issues
notifications to the Ministry of Health to conduct documentation
within five days. After obtaining the certificate, the drugs will be
excised and undergo corresponding documentation within five days,” he
added.

As for the imports from third countries, Topchyan said they will
continue the customs clearance based on the one window principle in
effect at present.

Asked whether a relaxed border control will not increase the risk of
illegal import, Topchyan said he thinks that the
State Drug Inspection, which also controls the drug market, will
enforce the necessary fines on the infringers.

It comes after Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said at the special
cabinet meeting on Friday that they have serious measure to implement
to regulate the drug import from third countries.