Filenews 10 June 2021
From €2,000 to €40,000s will be the fines and penalties related to the trafficking of illegal pesticides in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus as provided for by the new legislation.
Specifically, the Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment announced that it had been passed by the House of Representatives and published on 26.4.2021 in the Official Journal of the Republic, the Plant Protection Products (Amendment) Law of 2021 (Law 71(I)/2021).
As part of the general effort to further increase the level of safety of Cypriot agricultural products, a number of actions are being implemented, including the amendment of the relevant legislation, to achieve the objective of producing safe products for the consumer and ensuring the full compliance of our farmers with the Legislation on Plant Protection Products.
The main amendments in relation to the Basic Law of 2011 concern:
- Addition of provision for an out-of-court penalty of up to €30,000 for importation, movement, manufacture for placing on the market, placing on the market, or advertising in the Republic, of an unlicensed plant protection product.
- Increase out-of-court penalty for other violations of the law, from €2,000 to €10,000.
- The names of the offenders will be made public.
- Increase the sentence that the court can impose in the event of a case, from €20,000 to €40,000.
The imposition of stricter penalties and the disclosure of information on the fines and penalties imposed was considered necessary, since the infringement of the legislation can have serious effects on human health and the environment. The disclosure of the fines imposed will protect both the consumer and natural and legal persons who comply with the provisions of the legislation.
