The current Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan „On the production of organic products“ is undergoing a reform with a couple of provisions to be newly adopted or revised.
With the support of APD in May 2021 was drafted the bill „On the production and turnover of organic products“. It will replace the Law from November 27, 2015 № 423-V LRK. The new legislation will solve some issues in the Kazakh legislation of organic production:
• The new law will cover not only production, but also circulation of organic products.
• Many terms in the law are now clearly formulated and new important terms introduced;
• The object of certification is now not only the production processes, but also the turnover of organic products. A waiver of mandatory certification of organic products is provided in certain exceptional cases.
• The certification of organic production will be carried out depending on the needs and preferences of the market – i.e. whether the clients need a national or an international certificate.
• More transparency is provided, with all certification requirements in the “technical standards” for organic production. So far the certification requirements are contained in several documents, which leads to intransparency and contradictions.
• The possibility of combining small farms/peasant farms into groups of operators to undergo group certification and PGS certification was created.
• Virgin and fallow lands (older than 3 years) can be used for organic production without a transition (conversion) period (subject on the approval by the certification company).
• The supply, labeling and sale of organic products imported into the Republic of Kazakhstan will be, to a certain extent, subject to the regulation of the new law.
• Further infrastructural resources for organic production (a seed registry, a traceability system, etc.) will be established.
• Some of the functions of the authorities were revised and detailed.
The bill was approved by an interdepartmental commission on legislative activity in October 2021 and got a scientific legal expertise (Institute of Legislation of the Ministry of Justice November 8, 2021 ) and was approved by the Government (February 21, 2022). The bill was publicly discussed on the „Open Legal Acts Portal” (until June 15, 2022).
The bill has been agreed upon with the Presidential Administration, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, other ministries and local authorities, Atameken and others. To date, it is in the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan (lower house of the parliament) discussed in a special working group and after the completion of the discussion, probably this year, the first reading in the parliament will take place.