Law No. 2179-IIs on granting foodstuffs and tobacco manufacturing licence and permit

Law of Georgia on Granting a Food Products and Tobacco Production License and Permit Chapter I. General Provisions Article 1. Law regulation scope This Law regulates relations associated with the granting on the territory of Georgia of a food and tobacco products license and permit, and defines the types of licensable and permissible productions, determines the licensable and permissive conditions. Chapter II. License Article 2. Types of licensable production Types of a licensable production are: a) production of alcoholic beverages and wine spirit; b) production of beer, non-alcoholic beverages and water, including the making of commercial mineral water products; c) the manufacture of food and tobacco products of all other types (including baby food) Article 3. General procedure for granting a license The granting of a license is effected pursuant to the requirements stipulated by chapter four of the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit. Article 4. License suspension and renewal, license revocation The license suspension and renewal, as well as the license revocation are effected pursuant to the requirements stipulated by chapter four of the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit. Article 5. Carrying out of licensable production A license holder shall carry out the licensable production stipulated by this Law based on a permit granted to an appropriate enterprise, the procedure and conditions of which granting are determined by the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit and this Law. Article 6. License certificate form The Minster of Food and Agriculture of Georgia shall approve by his order the form of a license certificate. Chapter III. Permit 2 Article 7. Types of permissible enterprises Permissible enterprises are: 1. An alcoholic beverages and beverage spirit production enterprise engaged in: a) the processing of grapes and the production of wine materials; b) the dry wine making and/or bottling; c) the semidry, semisweet and sweet table wines making and/or bottling; d) the natural semidry, semisweet and sweet table wines making and/or bottling; e) the sparkling wine making; f) the effervescent wine making; g) the fortified and flavored wines making and/or bottling; h) the brandy spirit distillation and/or aging; i) the brandies making and/or bottling; j) the raw spirit production; k) the rectified spirit making; l) the vodka making and/or bottling; m)the liqueurs, their infusions and hard drinks making and/or bottling; n) the making and/or bottling of low-alcoholic drinks by using the ethyl spirit; o) the making and/or bottling of fruit wines; p) the vinegar making and/or bottling. 2. A beer, soft drinks and water production enterprise engaged in: a) the production of beer, soft drinks and water; b) the production of mineral waters; c) the production of kvass (a sour-sweet beverage of slight alcoholic content made by fermenting mixed cereals and adding flavoring); d) the production of carbon dioxide for carbonated beverages 3. Other foodstuffs and tobacco production enterprise engaged in: a) tea processing and/or packing; b) coffee processing and/or packing; c) flour and grits production and/or packing; d) bakery and macaroni products manufacture an/or packing; i) sugar production and/or packing; f) honey and starch-syrups production and/or packing; g) sugar and flour confectionery production and/or packing; h) fruits and nuts processing and/or packing; i) vegetables and mushrooms processing and/or packing; j) meat and meat products manufacture and/or packing; k) milk and dairy products manufacture and/or packing; l) vegetable oils production and/or packing; m) fats production and/or packing; n) fish and other marine products processing and/or packing; o) flavor products manufacture and/or packing; p) food supplements production and/or packing; q) tobacco processing and/or packing; r) baby food production and/or packing Article 8. Permissive conditions for an enterprise 1. A permit competitor shall, for obtaining a respective permit, present to the permit grantor a license granted pursuant to the requirements stipulated by the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit and this Law. b) The documents provided for in Article 22 of the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit shall be appended with: c) information concerning the enterprise’s location; 3 d) information concerning skills of the license-profile specialists (only with respect to the persons responsible for technological processes); i) information concerning availability of the enterprise’s material and technical base; f) technological instructions worked out in accordance with the entrepreneur-approved and effective standards; g) information concerning availability of an in-house production quality control system (for dairy processing plants – with the reference to the availability of microbiological laboratory, box, fermentation department, analytical chemist, and microbiologist); h) a document evidencing the conformity of the object with the requirements of the sanitary standards and regulations issued by the State Sanitary Inspection Board. 3. In case of amendments in the data as per paragraph 2 of this article, the permit holder shall inform in writing the permit grantor thereof and submit the appropriate documents within 7 business days after a respective amendment has been made. Article 9. General procedure for granting a permit The granting of a permit shall be subject to the requirements of Article 23 of the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit. Article 10. Validity of a permit A permit shall be valid for one year at least and 3 years at most. Article 11. Permit certificate form The Minster of Food and Agriculture of Georgia shall approve by his order the form of a permit certificate. Article 12. Procedure for inspecting permissive conditions The permit grantor is authorized, on a commission basis and in the presence of the permit competitor, to inspect on-the site the permissive conditions, on which a respective written conclusion shall be completed. If as a result of the on-the-spot inspection the actual situation does not comply with the established permissive conditions, this shall serve as grounds for withholding permission. Chapter IV. Transitory and Final Provisions Article 13. Validity of licenses and permits granted prior to the entry into force of this Law Any activity stipulated by this Law carried out without a respective license and permit is considered illegal upon expiry of 6 months after the present Law has entered into force. Article 14. Entry into force of the Law This Law enters into force as of the effective date of the Law of Georgia on the Principles for Granting an Entrepreneurial Activity License and Permit. President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze May 7, 2003 No. 2179-IIs