Livorno Port’s new Border Control Post (BCP) located on the west bank of Darsena Toscana, was inaugurated this morning.
The 2100m2 facility was built in about two years for a total cost €15 million. The project was designed by Pisa’s INGECO company (plant engineering) and Studio di Ingegneria delle Strutture (structural design), while the actual work was carried out by I.T.I. Impresa Generale spa.
“The new BCP allows the port to concentrate the activities that up to now had been performed in various port areas in a single facility,” said Port Network Authority Special Commissioner, Luciano Guerrieri, during the press conference organized for the inauguration of the building. “This will enable us to bring all our current health control facilities for foodstuffs from third countries into line with current Italian and EU authorization and regulatory requirements,” he added. “We are contributing to making the port more efficient and safer with this project. I would like to thank the personnel from the Port Network Authority’s technical dept who were involved, and I would also like to thank the companies that worked on it.”
The building has two floors. On the ground floor there will soon be a Border Inspection Post, responsible for checking shipments of animals, food of animal origin or products of non-animal origin but intended for animal feed, from third countries and destined for locations in Italy or any of the other Member States
There will also be Designated Points for the entry and import of products posing potential public health hazards, such as food of non-animal origin intended for human consumption and coming from non-European countries, which have to undergo sanitary inspections by the Maritime, Air and Border Health Office (USMAF)
Finally, the facility has designated plant protection points of entry. The Regional Phytosanitary Service, which is in charge of controlling plants being imported from third countries and implementing any protective measures against organisms harmful to plants or plant products being introduced into the Community.
The BCP will also perform the important task of providing technical and operational support to customs offices in combating the illicit trafficking of animal products. Areas have already been designated for this purpose.
Agecontrol offices will be located on the first floor. Agecontrol is the public agency, which, on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food &Forestry Policies and the Agency for Agricultural Disbursements, carries out quality controls on fresh fruit and vegetable products as well as preliminary, administrative and technical checks in the agri-food sector in the Community aid segments.
Some of Darsena Toscana Terminal’s offices will also be relocated on the same floor.
The BCP will be equipped with thirteen 16m2 cold storage rooms (between 4° and -20°) and fifteen loading areas
The facility will become operational once the PNA defines the modalities for transferring goods to the BCP area and once the personnel is in place.
Translation by Giles Foster
