Imports of cereals from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, only on a licensing basis

Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, announced that imports of cereals from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova will only be allowed for Romanian farmers and processors and will be possible only on a licensing basis. According to the minister: "Imports of cereals from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova will only be allowed for Romanian farmers and processors and will be possible only on a licensing basis. As promised, we are protecting Romanian production and the work of Romanian farmers." Florin Barbu stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has posted a draft Emergency Ordinance in transparency, establishing the legal framework for imports of agricultural products from Ukraine or the Republic of Moldova, specifically introducing a mechanism for authorizing Romanian economic operators to allow the import of four products: wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, and rapeseed. The draft normative act provides that Romanian economic operators engaged in the following economic sectors may be authorized for import operations of agricultural products from Ukraine or the Republic of Moldova: 1041 - Manufacture of oils and fats; 1061 - Manufacture of grain mill products; 1091 - Manufacture of prepared animal feeds; 014 - Raising of animals. Agricultural products that may be subject to import under the proposed normative act: 1001 - Wheat, 1005 - Maize, 1205 - Rapeseeds or wild rapeseeds, even crushed, 1206 - Sunflower seeds, even crushed. According to the normative act, the authorization procedure involves: "The economic operator with headquarters and branch/branches on the territory of Romania, intending to import agricultural products of Ukrainian or Moldovan origin, shall apply to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the issuance of an import authorization, based on the presentation of a document indicating the need to replenish stocks, as well as other necessary documents mentioned in the draft." MADR, based on the report issued by an Authorization Committee, issues the import authorization, after validation by the Romanian authorities of the information presented by the operators applying for authorization. The Committee is composed of the following representatives: a) a representative of the National Tax Administration Agency; b) a representative of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority; c) a representative of the Romanian Customs Authority; d) a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; e) a representative of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism; f) two representatives of representative associations in the production/processing and animal husbandry sectors. The economic operator presents a product conformity certificate for the product to be imported, issued by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority regarding compliance with sanitary veterinary and food safety standards. MADR issues the import authorization through the Authorization Committee.