New law for "bio" production/ Conditions from registration to control and export

2023-12-22 07:15:21, Aktualitet CNA

New law for "bio" production/ Conditions from registration to control

The government intends to adopt a new law that will regulate the products qualified as "bio", starting from the definition of the conditions that must be followed by those who will be involved in this activity, to the method of cultivation or production up to the stage of test and export.

In a draft law published for consultation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development under the title "On biological production, labeling of biological products and their control" it is underlined that the current law of 2016 that is in force will be repealed.

Referring to the draft, it stops at a number of elements from the authority in charge of control, which in this case is the National Food Authority, to the production rules.

Regarding the latter, the draft provides that only a part of well-defined substances are allowed in biological products, while the use of GMOs and ionizing radiation in organic products is prohibited.

In separate articles, the law also provides for exceptions to the rules of biological production when, as a result of natural disasters or other disasters, catastrophic events have occurred, which make it impossible to fulfill the rules of production. Exceptions are approved by the Commission for Biological Production (KPB) for a limited period, until biological production can be restored to normal conditions.

The products and substances used in biological production are aligned with the European Union list defined in reg. 1165/2021/EC.

The law also provides for the labeling of products where only those that meet the conditions will be able to use the terms "biological", "organic", "bio" or "eco".

For the producers, there will be a phase that the law qualifies as a transition phase where they will produce as organic but will not be qualified as such. This serves as a trial phase in the meantime, even though they may meet the criteria of "bio" as products, they will not be labeled and marketed as such.

Registration and export/import

Producers of this category must apply to be registered as such on the e-albania portal and the task of approval rests with the ministry.

"After the operator or the group of operators has submitted the request for registration to the Ministry, it must conclude a contract with the control body chosen and stated in the request and within 90 days (the maximum period established by the discussion with the control bodies, depending on the production that is certified) from the conclusion of the contract, the control body must complete the inspection of the operator to whom it issues the official certificate and send it to the Ministry" explains the relation that accompanies the draft.

The Ministry keeps the updated list with the names and addresses of the operators or group of operators, who have registered their activity, together with the information about the official certificates issued and publishes it on the official website. The publication of these data is carried out in accordance with the legislation in force for the protection of personal data.

The control bodies provide with an official certificate every operator or group of operators that has submitted a request for the registration of its activity and is in accordance with the requirements of this law (Article 38). The official certificate is issued in physical or electronic form when possible, depending on the certified operator (physical certificate for farmers who do not use the digitized system).

Meanwhile, in the seventh chapter, the rules for the export and import of biological products with other countries are defined. In regulation 848/2018/EC, the conditions for import into the EU, that is, our export, are defined, while for the conditions of our country, we must create an import regime by adapting it to that of the EU.

In article 54, the conditions for the export of biological products are determined, if they meet at least the rules defined in this law and the conditions of the country where they are exported./ Monitor.al