By-law of the Food Sector Council

Issued pursuant to
Section 13 of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provision

1. The Food Sector Council (hereinafter - Council) is a consultative and co-ordinating institution established in order to promote the development of competitive and sustainable food sector.

II. Functions, Tasks and Rights of the Council

2. The Council shall have the following functions:

2.1. to co-ordinate issues related to the food sector;

2.2. to ensure the solving of problems essential to the food sector;

2.3. to promote the development of the food sector, facilitating the competitiveness thereof in local and international market, as well as export of food products.

3. The Council shall carry out the following tasks:

3.1. evaluate issues related to the food sector and provide an opinion on them (also to the Cabinet, committees of the Saeima and the relevant ministries);

3.2. provide proposals regarding State policy priorities in the food sector;

3.3. assess and provide an opinion on legal acts, drafts thereof and development planning documents, as well as planned measures that are related to the food sector;

3.4. assess the impact of other fields on the Latvian food sector (also legal acts and decisions adopted in accordance with sectoral policy in other fields);

3.5. in issues essential to the food sector ensure the informative link between representatives of the food sector and State administrative institutions, as well as co-ordinated action thereof.

4. The Council has the following rights:

4.1. to request and receive the information necessary for work from State administrative institutions, as well as representatives of the food sector;

4.2. to suggest the development of the necessary draft legal acts;

4.3. to invite experts to participate in the Council meetings (in an advisory capacity).

III. Structure of the Council

5. The Council shall consist of:

5.1. the Minister for Agriculture - Chairperson of the Council;

5.2. the Chairperson of the Council of the Latvian Federation of Food Enterprises - Vice-chairperson of the Council;

5.3. a representative of the Ministry of Finance;

5.4. a representative of the Ministry of Economics;

5.5. two representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture;

5.6. a representative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development;

5.7. a representative of the Ministry of Health;

5.8. a representative of the Food and Veterinary Service;

5.9. four representatives of the Latvian Federation of Food Enterprises;

5.10. a representative of the Cooperation Council of Agricultural Organisations;

5.11. a representative of the Latvian Agricultural Cooperatives Association;

5.12. a representative of the Farmers Parliament;

5.13. a representative of the Latvian Association of Food Retailers;

5.14. a representative of the Public Health Association of Latvia.

6. The composition of the Council shall be approved by the Minister for Agriculture on the basis of the authorisation of the authorities and organisations referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Regulation.

IV. Organisation of the Council Work

7. The Chairperson of the Council shall:

7.1. convene and chair meetings of the Council;

7.2. approve the agenda for the meetings of the Council;

7.3. sign the minutes of the Council meeting and other documents;

7.4. represent the Council without any special authorisation;

7.5. if necessary, invite experts for participation in the Council meetings (in an advisory capacity).

8. The Vice-chairperson of the Council shall manage the work of the Council in the absence of the Chairperson of the Council.

9. The Chairperson of the Council shall convene a meeting of the Council, as well as an extraordinary meeting if it is requested by more than half of the members of the Council.

10. The Chairperson of the Council may organise a work group from the members of the Council for fast making of decision on current issues, if necessary, inviting experts therein.

11. Meetings of the Council shall be open, unless members of the Council decide otherwise.

12. Members of the Council have the voting rights at meetings of the Council.

13. The Council shall have a quorum if more than one half of the Council members are present at a meeting thereof.

14. Decisions of the Council shall be taken by open ballot with a simple majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the Chairperson of the Council shall be the decisive vote.

15. Minutes shall be taken at the meetings of the Council. The issues included in the agenda of the meeting, the decisions taken, the participants of the meeting and the persons who have expressed on the particular issue, as well as the differing opinions, shall be indicated in the minutes of the Council meeting.

16. Members of the Council shall inform the secretariat of the Council regarding agreement or send objections, in electronic form, within five working days after receipt of the draft minutes.

17. The minutes agreed upon shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Council and the person recording the minutes.

18. The Ministry of Agriculture shall ensure the operation of the Council materially and technically within the scope of the funds from the budget granted thereto.

19. The secretariat functions of the Council shall be performed by the Ministry of Agriculture.

20. The secretariat of the Council shall:

20.1. compile proposals of members of the Council on issues to be included in the agenda and prepare draft agenda of the Council meeting and other relevant materials of the meeting;

20.2. not later than within five working days before the Council meeting and not later than one working day before an extraordinary Council meeting notify all members of the Council, in electronic form, regarding the time and agenda of the Council meeting, as well as send them the documents to be reviewed in the Council meeting;

20.3. prepare and send the draft minutes of the meeting, in electronic form, to all members of the Council within five working days after the meeting of the Council;

20.4. send a copy of the minutes agreed upon and signed to all members of the Council in electronic form;

20.5. ensure circulation of information and documents between the members of the Council, State administrative institutions and other partners involved;

20.6. perform other tasks that are related to organising the management of the record-keeping of the Council work and ensure the material and technical provision.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for Agriculture J. Dūklavs