Government approves imported fertilizer control proposals

Economy Minister Virginijus Sinkevičius says that the proposals would put in place safeguards against low-quality fertilizers in the market.

“The draft law provides for working out an identification list that will function as a safeguard and will allow only fertilizing products that will meet the established quality requirements into the Lithuanian market, and will establish a procedure for market supervision and infringement proceedings,” the minister said in a press release.

“It also imposes dissuasive fines for violating this law,” he added.

The Economy Ministry had tabled a proposal to control the composition, safety, quality, labeling, packaging and identification of imported fertilizers.

A similar law passed by the previous Seimas was later revoked as potentially non-compliant with the EU’s competition and free movement of goods requirements.

Agrokoncernas, a company owned by MP Ramūnas Karbauskis, chairman of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU), is one of Lithuania’s largest fertilizer importers. Opposition lawmakers suspect that the EU’s anti-dumping duties are circumvented in importing fertilizers.

The opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats proposed to set up a special parliamentary commission to look into “fertilizer issues”, but the Seimas rejected the move.