• Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the MADR headquarters, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin-Ionuț BARBU, had a meeting with the representatives of the Association of Large Romanian Retail Chains in the food sector, representatives of the processors, the Competition Council and the National Agency for Administration Fiscal.
The purpose of the meeting was to assess the state of preparations for the implementation of GEO 67/2023 regarding the establishment of a temporary measure to combat the excessive increase in prices of some agricultural and food products, a normative act that will produce its effects starting from August 1, 2023.
Aspects were discussed regarding the state of harmonization of the ongoing contracts in the commercialization chain, clarifications regarding the list of products for which the measures provided for in the normative act will be applied, as well as the ways in which the reductions of commercial additions will be operated and verified, thus so that the implementation of the normative act occurs without syncopation.
Dialogue is essential for the smooth running of the government measure
During the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Beard stated: "Dialogue with you is essential, both before and after the implementation of the measures included in GEO 67, because we have to make sure that Romanians will really feel the beneficial effects of this normative act. I know that times are difficult for everyone, so thank you again for understanding that we need to make this joint effort to help lower and middle income people more easily afford the prices of food staples.
We have seen that a large chain store has already limited trade additions ahead of August 1st. I congratulate and thank them. It is a clear proof that this partnership we assumed works and this fact gives me confidence that the mechanism established by this normative act will produce the expected effects".
After the discussions held at the MADR headquarters, BREAKING sent through an address to the ministry the definition for plain white bread, a product that can be found in the regulatory act to combat the excessive increase in prices.
ROMPAN definition for plain white bread
Thus, after consultation with ROMPAN members, it resulted that: "Plain white bread is the unpackaged product made from white wheat flour, yeast, iodized salt, water, through a fermentation method (direct or indirect) to which no other auxiliary materials are added (e.g. seeds, potatoes, sorghum, sugars , oils, fats, etc.). In the manufacture of simple white bread, food additives, technological adjuvants, food enzymes, gluten can be used, only with a technological role."
At the same time, ROMPAN also requested certain clarifications regarding the provisions of GEO 67, namely:
– if the regulatory act covers only unwrapped plain white bread, because the packaged product (sliced or unsliced) also involves other costs.
– how the calculation for the selling price is carried out when the processor distributes directly to the trader and in case it distributes to its own store.
The next meeting between the representatives of the authorities, those of the Association of Large Retail Networks in Romania and the representatives of the processors will take place in the first week of August, in order to verify the status of the implementation of the measures provided for in the normative act, immediately after the entry into force of GEO 67/2023.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
Read on White Art and: The normative act on stopping the increase in food prices
