The public consultation on his bill has ended Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food for the new sanctioning framework for “ PDO – Protected Designation of Origin“, ” PGI – Protected Geographical Indication” the ” EPIP – Guaranteed Traditional Unique Products“.

The specific bill addresses the issues that make it difficult to monitor the implementation of the national and EU framework, for PDO/PGI/PGI products, by clarifying the responsibilities of each control authority, in order to make controls more effective and efficient.

“The goal of the FSAAT is to protect agricultural products and food, to enhance their quality, to limit illegal Greekizations and to ensure better information for consumers,” the Minister of Rural Development and Food said in his statement. Kostas Tsiaras.

He noted at the same time that all the views and observations submitted during the public consultation “are already being studied and processed with the aim of contributing to the formation of the final draft law”.

The bill foresees obligations for those who wish to produce, transport, package for the purpose of marketing, agricultural products or PDO/PGI/EPIP food, as well as for companies producing, packaging, and marketing agricultural products.

It includes the creation of a Register of Approved Businesses and Beneficiaries of Use of PDO/PGE/EPIP Indications with the aim of the proper execution of the audit work of ELGO – DIMITRA. The aim is to operate a register of businesses that have joined the control system after the relevant certification has been granted.

The draft law establishes a coherent framework of administrative compliance measures imposed by ELGO – DIMITRA in case of detection of irregularities or violations of national and EU legislation, concerning the registered names of agricultural products or foodstuffs, as well as the administrative fines imposed by the FSA per case of irregularity or infringement to enhance deterrence.

In order to deal more rationally with infringements, measurement criteria, coefficients of the measurement criteria and the range of prescribed fines are established after evaluation and grading of specific parameters, as well as the establishment of a Sanctions Committee, its operational framework and its work.

As far as ELGO-DIMITRA’s responsibilities are concerned, it includes, in particular, the carrying out of controls on the production, quality and distribution of agricultural products.

The aim is to define the checks to verify compliance with the specifications of each PDO, PGI or PGI product, which are on-the-spot, regular and/or ad hoc and to ensure that they are carried out in a transparent, fair and impartial manner.

Audited companies are obliged to allow the mandated audit bodies to sample raw materials, packaging materials and finished products, to provide accounting, tax information and certificates, contracts, etc.

As stated in a statement by the FSA, “the legal gap that exists regarding the recognition of groups of producers for each PDO/PGI product is being tackled at the same time. The recognition system can be applied to all producer groups, whose members produce a product identified by a PDO or PGI or to producer groups that produce specific categories of products identified by a PDO or PGI.’

Among other duties, the recognized group of producers of a PDO or PGI may carry out market checks and/or internal checks on its members and communicates these results to ELGO – DIMITRA.

Finally, issues related to food, which are used as PDO/PGI component products, and administrative measures and fines for violations in this area are regulated and obligations are provided for the control authorities who find non-compliances during an audit in a sector that does not it is within their competence.