Parliament gives green light to exemption certificates for fruit and vegetable traders

Economic agents operating in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector will be able to benefit from exemption certificates from official quality control. Parliament approved a draft law in this regard in the first reading.

The certificate, which will be optional, will be issued for a period of up to two years, with the possibility of extension for another year. To obtain it, economic agents must meet several conditions, including: obtaining a maximum score in five consecutive checks on product quality compliance; having a self-control quality system; no convictions or fiscal and customs sanctions in the last three years.

The certificate can be used for fruits and vegetables intended for import, export, as well as for additional confirmation of product compliance on the domestic market. In case of non-compliance, ANSA will have the right to withdraw the certificate.

Additionally, the project also provides for the simplification of administrative procedures for small producers.

Thus, private people or legal entities cultivating up to 0.1 hectares and selling under 5,000 kg of products will be exempt from the obligation to register in the ANSA database. This exemption also applies to producers selling products directly in wholesale or producer markets, or transporting goods between sales, storage, and packaging points in the same production area.

The project also proposes a new definition of an economic agent, which will include both private people and legal entities, as well as groups of producers or their associations, operating in the fruit and vegetable sector subject to marketing standards.