The Moldovan Parliament adopted amendments to the law on control of compliance with quality requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables. Thus, economic agents will be able to use certificates exempting them from quality control of fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to the document, in order to obtain the certificate, economic entities must score five points based on the results of five consecutive inspections of compliance with the quality of fresh fruit and vegetable products; have a system of self-quality control; have no criminal record for committing crimes in connection with economic activity, as well as violations of customs or tax legislation for the last three years.
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The certificate can be used for products intended for import, export or to confirm compliance with current quality standards within the country. The document will be issued for up to two years with the possibility of renewal for another year.
The National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) will have to keep public records of issued certificates and check them for compliance. In case of non-compliance, the certificate can be revoked.
The adopted amendments also clarify the criteria for inclusion of economic operators in the fruit and vegetable sector in the database managed by ANSA. Thus, certain categories of economic operators will be exempted from this obligation. These include natural or legal persons engaged in activities limited to transporting goods or retailing small quantities of produce, having cropped areas of up to 0.1 hectares and selling no more than five tons of fruits and vegetables. Producers who sell produce in wholesale markets or production areas, as well as those who transport fruits and vegetables between wholesale markets, processing plants, storage or packing facilities, are also exempt from registration if these operations take place in the same production area.
Source: Infotag