Albania Expands Organic Agricultural Goods Oversight with New Control Body Rules

Albania has introduced additional conditions and procedures for the approval of control bodies and notification of organic production activities conducted under international standards, affecting organic agricultural goods and organic animal produce

Compliance Answer: Additional Conditions and Procedures for Approval of Control Bodies and Notification of Organic Production Activities in Albania

Albania has established additional conditions and procedures for the approval of control bodies and the notification of organic production activities conducted under international standards, as outlined in the Draft Decision of the Council of Ministers and Law No. 104/2024. These measures aim to align national requirements with EU and international standards for organic production, ensuring the effective functioning of control bodies operating in Albania¹.

1. Legal Framework and Scope

The regulatory framework for organic production in Albania is governed by:

• Law No. 104/2024 "On organic production, labelling of organic products and their control"¹.
• Draft Decision of the Council of Ministers "On additional conditions and procedures for the approval of control bodies and the notification of activities by control bodies operating in Albania under other standards for organic production"¹.

The Draft Decision supplements Article 45(3) of Law No. 104/2024 by introducing additional conditions and procedures for:

• Approval, renewal, and modification of the scope of control bodies operating under Albanian law.
• Notification of activities by control bodies operating under international standards for organic production (e.g., EU Regulation 2018/848, IFOAM standards)¹.

Products covered include:

• Agricultural goods (ICS code: 65).
• Organic animal produce (ICS code: 67.120.01).

2. Key Requirements for Control Bodies

A. Approval of Control Bodies

Control bodies must comply with additional conditions beyond those in Law No. 104/2024, including:

1. Accreditation: Control bodies must be accredited by a national accreditation body recognized under Albanian law or an internationally recognized accreditation body (e.g., ISO/IEC 17065)¹.
2. Scope of Approval: The approval process covers:
   • Initial approval.
   • Renewal of approval (timeline not specified in sources).
   • Modification of the scope of approval (e.g., expansion to new product categories)¹.
3. Documentation: Control bodies must submit:
   • Proof of accreditation.
   • Operational procedures for organic control (e.g., inspection protocols, risk assessment methodologies).
   • Evidence of compliance with international standards (if operating under such standards)¹.
4. Fees: Not specified in the provided sources.

Authority responsible: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

B. Notification of Activities

Control bodies operating under international standards (e.g., EU organic regulations) must notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of their activities in Albania. Key requirements include:

1. Notification Submission:
   • Control bodies must submit a notification form detailing:
   • Name and legal address of the control body.
   • Accreditation details (e.g., accreditation body, scope of accreditation).
   • List of operators (producers, processors, importers) under their control in Albania.
   • Standards applied (e.g., EU Regulation 2018/848, USDA Organic)¹.
2. Ongoing Obligations:
   • Annual reporting of activities (e.g., number of inspections, non-compliance findings).
   • Immediate notification of changes (e.g., loss of accreditation, expansion of scope)¹.
3. Language: Notifications must be submitted in Albanian or English.

Deadline for initial notification: Not specified in the sources.

C. Compliance and Enforcement

• Inspections: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development may conduct on-site inspections to verify compliance with approval and notification requirements¹.
• Sanctions: Non-compliance may result in:
  • Suspension or revocation of approval.
  • Fines (amounts not specified in the sources)¹.
• Appeals: Control bodies may appeal decisions to the Council of Ministers (procedure not detailed in sources).

3. Timeline and Implementation

• Proposed Adoption Date: To be determined.
• Proposed Entry into Force: To be determined.
• Public Consultation Period: Comments on the Draft Decision were accepted until 23 June 2026 (60 days from notification).

4. Comparison Table: Approval vs. Notification Requirements

5. Summary Answer

Albania has introduced additional conditions and procedures for the approval and notification of control bodies in organic production through the Draft Decision of the Council of Ministers and Law No. 104/2024. Key requirements include:

1. Approval: Control bodies must be accredited and submit operational procedures for approval, renewal, or modification of scope¹.
2. Notification: Control bodies operating under international standards must notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of their activities, including annual reporting¹.
3. Compliance: The Ministry may conduct inspections and impose sanctions for non-compliance¹.
4. Timeline: The Draft Decision is under public consultation until 23 June 2026, with adoption and entry into force dates pending.

All requirements apply to organic agricultural goods and animal produce (ICS codes 65 and 67.120.01). For further details, refer to the Draft Decision and Law No. 104/2024¹.

Sources

1. ↩ Draft –Decision of the Council of Ministers “On additional conditions and procedures for the approval of control bodies and the notification of activities by control bodies operating in Albania under other standards for organic production” https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN26/ALB101.pdf&Open=True