Russia prepares the regulatory basis for organic & eco food markets.
30/08/2019
The Organic Products Act comes into effect since the 1st January 2020. Minselkhoz of Russia prepared the draft of the Ecologically-safe agricultural products, primary produce & food Act in July 2019. The new Act takes course since the 1st January 2021.
The global organic & eco food markets grow rapidly at the moment. It’s one of the mass trends on the highly developed food markets of EU & USA. Consumers are ready to pay extra cost for such products. The packaging marked by “eco” or “organic” signs enjoys customers’ confidence & provides a competitive edge in retail. Food products with “eco” & “organic” marks can be met in retail for some years, but the usage of such marks is beyond the law now.
It’s been a long time since the legal control need-be of the markets becomes imminent. But the first solid steps in this regard were made only last year. The Organic product Act (adaption to certain legislative acts) became the first sign. It was approved by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in the 3 August 2018.
The Act governs norms of organic product manufacturing, transporting, warehousing & sale. The agricultural & food products fall within the scope. Such segments, as cosmetics, perfumery, pharmaceuticals and wild plant seeds; hunting & fishing products (exc. aquaculture) are not the subject. The goal is to provide the organic product traceability at all stages of production & protect fair producers & consumers from adulterations. The penalty duty for the illegal use of the organic marks, provided for in a law, amounts from 10 to 100 thousand Russian rubles.
All the producers, gotten the voluntary certification, will be included in unified national register & able to use the organic marks legally. Organic certificates will be given by the accredited authority. For that purpose the first & Russia’s only Organic Certification Centre was established by Russian Quality System Agency. The Centre will control the organic manufacturing process as required by international organic standard. Companies, passed the certification, will be able to get higher prices for their products on the local & export markets.
The draft of the Ecologically-safe agricultural product, primary produce & food Act was created by Minselkhoz in current July for ecologically-safe product market legal control. The Act comes into effect since the 1st January 2021. The bill regulates the manufacturing, transporting, warehousing & sale norms of ecologically-safe products in Russia.
The Act defines the term “ecologically-safe product”. The organic product is not the subject of the Act. The national standards for ecologically-safe product will be prepared within the law. First six Russian standards were introduced by the Russian Quality System Agency in current August.
The standard development will afford to dissociate the terms of “organic” & “ecologically-safe” product in legal terrain & consumer’s mind. The Minselkhoz explained that safe for human & environment organic fertilizers, agrochemicals, crop protection agents, feeds, food & feed additives are allowed to use in manufacturing of the products with ecological marks as opposed to organic products.
The ecologically-safe certification will also be voluntarily for producers. The system will be similar to the organic. All the producers, passed the certification, will be included in unified national register & gain the right to mark their product by standard ecologically-safe sign.
The legal base is the first step on the way to national “green” trademarks development & export capacity promotion of local food & agricultural products on the foreign markets.
Sources:
24/07/2019
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/6695876
16/07/2019
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/6670662
01/03/2019
https://rskrf.ru/news/roskachestvo-zaymyetsya-sertifikatsiey-organiki/
10/10/2018