This Law regulates the conditions for organic production, labelling and advertising, placing on the market, import and export, professional control and certification in organic production, as well as rules regarding related official controls, among other issues of importance for organic production in general. This Law shall apply to agricultural products, including aquaculture products and beekeeping products, as well as products obtained from such products, if they are produced, prepared, labelled, distributed, placed on the market, imported into Montenegro or exported from Montenegro, as well as to products closely related to agriculture, which include: 1) live or unprocessed agricultural products, including seeds and other plant reproductive material; 2) processed products used as food; and 3) animal feed. This Law shall apply to a company, other legal entity, entrepreneur and natural person involved in any stage of production, processing or distribution of above listed products. This Law defines that the term “organic production” is intended as production of products based on the application of certified organic production methods in all stages of production, including processing and distribution, as well as the production of products in the transitional period.
The text is divided into eleven main thematic Chapters and a total of 85 articles. Titles of these Chapters are as follows: I. Basic provisions; II. Competent authorities; III. Conditions for organic production; IV. Labelling and advertising of organic products; V. Expert control and certification in organic production; VI. Trade in organic products; VII. Official controls; VIII. Official controls during import; IX. Supervision; X. Penalty measures; XI. Transitional and final provisions.
The objectives of organic production are: 1) contributing to the protection of the environment and the climate; 2) maintaining the long-term fertility of the soil; 3) contributing to the reduction of environmental pollution; 4) contributing to the fulfilment of high standards of animal welfare, and in particular the specific needs of animals depending on the species to which they belong; 5) encouraging short distribution chains and local production; 6) encouraging the conservation of rare and indigenous breeds threatened with extinction; 7) contributing to the expansion of the supply of plant genetic material adapted to the specific needs and objectives of organic production; 8) contributing to the preservation of a high level of biodiversity, in particular through the use of diverse plant genetic material such as organic heterogeneous material and varieties suitable for organic production; and 9) encouraging the development of organic selection and breeding activities in order to strengthen the economic prospects of the organic sector.
Organic production is a sustainable management system based on the following general principles: 1) respecting natural systems and cycles and maintaining and improving the condition of soil, water and air, plant and animal health and their mutual balance; 2) preserving elements of the natural landscape such as natural heritage sites; 3) responsible use of energy and natural resources, such as water, soil, organic matter and air; 4) producing high-quality food, aquaculture products and other agricultural products in accordance with consumer demands for products produced by processes that do not harm the environment, human health, plant health or animal health and welfare; 5) ensuring the integrity of organic production at all stages of production, processing and distribution of food and feed; 6) establishing appropriate methods of managing biological processes based on organic systems and the use of natural resources which: - include the use of living organisms and other production methods (mechanical and similar), - are based on plant and livestock production on land or aquaculture in accordance with the principles of sustainable exploitation of water resources, - exclude the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), products produced from GMOs or products produced by GMOs, except for veterinary medicinal products, - and are based on risk assessment and, where necessary, the application of precautionary and preventive measures; 7) limiting the use of external inputs, except when appropriate management practices and methods referred to in point 6 are required or do not exist, and relate to: - inputs from organic production, and in the case of plant reproductive material, priority is given to varieties suitable for organic production; - natural substances or substances obtained naturally; and - slowly soluble mineral fertilizers; 8) adapting the production process taking into account the sanitary status, regional differences in ecological balance, climatic and local conditions, stages of development and specific production practices; 9) the exclusion from the entire organic food chain of animal cloning, the breeding of animals in which polyploidy has been artificially induced, as well as ionizing radiation; and 10) maintaining a high level of animal welfare while respecting the specific needs of the species.