By Vangelis Dourakis

Everything is changing on the “shelves” of retail stores selling fresh products: Based on the bill promoted by the Ministry of Development, businesses such as supermarkets, greengrocers and butchers will now be obliged to write on the products in a clear and legible manner the information from which the final selling price is derived. Thus, it will become clear to consumers at which stage of the journey from “field to… shelf” the “hat” enters the price.

It is about the adoption of a practice that was opposed, until recently, by representatives of retail stores. The mandatory listing of the course of formation of the final price of fresh products at retail outlets is provided for in the draft law on Independent Market Supervision and Consumer Protection Authority which was put into consultation by the Ministry of Development.

How to do the “double” listing of prices on the “shelf”

Specifically, according to Article 47 of Part C’ of the bill, retail businesses should present in a clear and legible manner the data from which the final selling price of a product is derived — from the original producer or importer price, to the retail price on the shelf.

As characteristically stated by competent sources, the purpose of listing the “price formation path” is to allow citizens to know at which stage of the chain — from the field to the store shelf — costs are added.

The details of the implementation of the measure will be determined by a decision of the Minister of Development: which categories of businesses will apply it, which products will be subject, how the price information will be presented (e.g. on signs, electronic systems or receipts), as well as the penalties for those who do not comply.

Until its operation begins Independent Market Supervision and Consumer Protection Authoritythe establishment of which is provided for in the bill under consultation, the Interagency Market Control Unit will be responsible for the implementation and controls of the aforementioned measure.

What does article 47 of the bill under consultation provide

In detail, as stated in article 47:

1. In retail businesses, the data from which the final product price of fresh products is determined is indicated, in an appropriate and clear manner, with the aim of protecting the consumer public and safeguarding healthy competition.

2. Competent control authority for the implementation of par. 1 and the imposition of sanctions is defined as Independent Market Supervision and Consumer Protection Authorityof article 3.

Article 50 with the authorizing provisions states that:

For the implementation of article 47, regarding the indication of the course of formation of the final price for fresh products, in retail businesses, by decision of the Minister of Development, the following are determined:

a) the categories of businesses for which the application of the measure becomes mandatory, its entry into force for each category of businesses and products that fall within its scope, as well as the duration of the measure’s validity,

b) the fresh products falling within the scope of the measure,

c) the details of the determination of the prices and the data, for each stage from production to the disposal of the product, which are indicated for the application of the measure and issues related to the way of indicating the initial and intermediate prices;

d) the sanctions for the violation of the obligations of the measure and in particular the obligations, for the violation of which a sanction is provided, the object of the sanction, the amount and the method of measuring the financial sanctions and the criteria for escalating the sanctions, as well as the consequences in case of recurrence,

e) the details on how to inform the consumer public and any other necessary details.

As mentioned above, until the launch of the Independent Market Supervision and Consumer Protection Authority, competent Control Authority for the implementation of article 47, regarding the indication of the course of formation of the final product price in fresh products in the retail businesses, the Interagency Market Control Unit is defined.