Customs Union Technical Regulations Will Shape Food Markets for Years to Come, says EAS

16 May 2013 --- Food safety and labelling technical regulations coming into force on 1 July 2013 in the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, will harmonise regulation and create a single food market thus facilitating free trade and flow of goods, EAS Strategic Advice has said.

The three regulations – on safety of foods, safety of specialised medical and preventive-care foods, and labelling of food products – are intended to improve food sector regulation in the Customs Union to address market issues such misleading advertising practices, the use of herbal and non-food ingredients in supplement formulations, and appropriate levels of scientific evidence to prove safety and efficacy.

“These three laws cover almost all aspects of food safety and product compliance and clearly give boost to the free trade and market growth in the Customs Union,” said Alexey Petrenko, General Manager of the EAS Strategic Advice CIS office in Moscow. “With the technical regulation concerning the safety of food products, for example, the registration procedure for new products will be unified in all three countries, comprising one of the biggest regional markets.”

The new technical regulations cover all foods as well as bottled drinking and mineral water, tonic drinks, food additives, dietary supplements, and products manufactured with the use of genetically modified organisms.

“After the technical regulations enter force, standards will be developed for harmonising the terminology and product requirements, and observance of the regulations will be enforced through compliance with special rules to be developed by the Customs Union Commission,” Mr Petrenko said.

The new technical regulations can be accessed from the Customs Union Commission official website.