Requirements for the Quality, Classification, and Supplementary Labelling of Fruits and Vegetables

[3 December 2024]

Issued pursuant to
Section 4, Paragraph four
and Section 13, Paragraph three, Clause 3
of the Law on the Supervision
of the Handling of Food

1. The Regulation prescribes the requirements for the quality and classification of fruit and vegetables (hereinafter - the product) and the procedures for assessing the conformity of the respective products with these requirements, and also the requirements for supplementary labelling of the products.

[3 December 2024]

1.¹ The requirements for the quality, classification and labelling of the products are prescribed in accordance with Annex I (hereinafter - the standard) to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 of 17 August 2023 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards marketing standards for the fruit and vegetables sector, certain processed fruit and vegetable products and the bananas sector, and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 1666/1999 and Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) No 543/2011 and (EU) No 1333/2011 (hereinafter - Regulation 2023/2429).

[3 December 2024]

2. The Regulation shall not apply to the products imported from third countries, unless they are intended for commercial purposes and the quantity of the products of the same type exceeds 20 kilograms.

3. A product having undergone a trimming or cutting, and also "ready to eat" or "kitchen ready" product may be presented for retail sale if:

3.1. prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the hygiene of foodstuffs;

3.2. packaged in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding materials and articles intended for coming into contact with food;

3.3. labelled in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the requirements for the provision of information on non-prepacked food.

[3 December 2024]

4. [3 December 2024]

5. The Food and Veterinary Service (hereinafter - the Service):

5.1. is the coordinating authority and the inspection body specified in Article 2(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2430 of 17 August 2023 laying down rules concerning checks on conformity to marketing standards for the fruit and vegetables sector, certain processed fruit and vegetable products and the bananas sector (hereinafter - Regulation 2023/2430);

5.2. develops procedures for conformity checks based on risk analysis in accordance with the requirements specified in Article 5 of Regulation 2023/2430;

5.3. issues the certificate of conformity and the certificate of exemption referred to in Article 7 of Regulation 2023/2430. The certificate of conformity, on the basis of Article 6(2) of Regulation 2023/2430, shall not be issued for the products specified in Part A of Annex I to Regulation 2023/2429 and in Article 5(1)(a)(i) thereof;

5.4. inspects the conformity of the product in accordance with the methods of inspection specified in Annex V to Regulation 2023/2430;

5.5. grants and withdraws the authorisation for a trader to carry out the activities specified in Article 4(1) of Regulation 2023/2430;

5.6. performs the notification tasks specified in Article 2(2) and Article 11 of Regulation 2023/2430;

5.7. sets up, maintains and updates the trader database referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation 2023/2430 in accordance with the requirements laid down in Article 3(5) of this Regulation. Traders who, in accordance with the Regulations Regarding the Procedures for the Recognition and Registration of Food Establishments, are included in the register of objects under supervision of the Service and meet the criteria specified in Article 3(3) of Regulation 2023/2430, or who provide a short-term service in the handling of food in Latvia, shall not be included in the trader database;

5.8. sets up and publishes on its website, in accordance with the requirements laid down in Article 4(5) of Regulation 2023/2430, a list of traders who have been granted authorisation to carry out the activities specified in Article 4(1) of Regulation 2023/2430;

5.9. prescribes the procedures for conformity checks at the point of retail where the product is sold to the end consumer in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation 2023/2430.

[3 December 2024]

6. In order to assess the conformity of the product to be exported to a third country with the standard, the trader shall send a submission to the territorial unit of the Service on conformity assessment of the product. The following information shall be indicated in the submission:

6.1. the name of the trader and the address of the place of control;

6.2. the product name and quantity;

6.3. the planned inspection date;

6.4. export destination.

7. To obtain an assessment of the conformity of a product with the standard when imported from third countries, a trader shall act in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the requirements and procedures for the border control of food to be brought in from third countries and the materials and products intended to come into contact with food which are not subject to official border control.

[3 December 2024]

8. The trader shall cover expenses related to the conformity assessment of the product in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures for making a payment to the Food and Veterinary Service for the State supervision and control activities and paid services.

9. The trader shall cover all expenses related to the return, destruction, shipment for processing, or use of the product in animal feed.

10. Cabinet Regulation No. 613 of 25 June 2009, Requirements for Quality, Classification and Labelling of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables and the Procedures for the Conformity Assessment with the Standards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2009, No. 98), is repealed.

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma

Minister for Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs

Annex
Cabinet Regulation No. 597
20 October 2015

No. _____________

[3 December 2024]

Translation © 2025 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)