Final approval by the Chamber of Deputies of the Agri-food Protection Bill: with the offence of agro-piracy, more protection for quality products
Defined a framework of sanctions for irregularities in the sector that will allow greater protection and safeguard of excellent Italian-made foodstuffs with positive repercussions for operators and consumers alike
Green light for the Agri-food Protection Bill. The measure introduces the offence of agro-piracy and, above all, defines a framework of sanctions for irregularities in the sector that will allow greater protection and safeguarding of excellent Made in Italy foodstuffs with positive repercussions for both operators and consumers.
Lollobrigida: important achievement on Made in Italy Day
'There will be no dissenting votes on a historic result achieved today in Parliament, on Made in Italy Day,' commented the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Francesco Lollobrigida. We can all be proud: we know that there was no organic defence of the system. This measure is to protect the specifications and Italia is in the vanguard of this model, and for this I thank the agricultural and industrial worlds, with which we have found a balance on sanctions, we have worked together with the world of associations to correct any distortions. I would also like to thank the police, who in the control room have changed the controls, making them less impactful on the individual entrepreneur, but more effective on risk situations'.
The minister's statements were made during the debate in the House before the measure was approved.
"We will still be able to work," added Lollobrigida, "in the next phase, of practical application, but in the meantime we are stemming some situations in which mafia or paramilitary associations are involved. We have also looked at solidarity, avoiding wasting energy: what is confiscated goes to the less well-off, if we are talking about quality products. I also thank the opposition on the reports that have been made to us, all this is in favour of the Italia system and its resilience. With these measures we can promote and guarantee the ability of our companies to reach the markets that must be strengthened and protected'.
A bill long in the ministry's drawers
The draft law had been in the drawers of the Ministry of Agriculture for over ten years after work carried out by a working group coordinated by magistrate Giancarlo Caselli and promoted by Coldiretti. 'No one had ever had the courage to make it into a measure,' Lollobrigida continued, 'We have had it, gathering the suggestions of the associative world and the forces of law and order. We introduced new offences, the aggravating circumstance of agro-piracy, and penalties proportional to the size of the companies' turnover, so that they would be a real deterrent. We have also institutionalised the control cabin to streamline control systems and avoid overlaps. Defending our agri-food system is fundamental, it is the defence of 'Made in Italy' which in the world is a symbol of what is good and of quality'.
Working in synergy with the Ministry of Justice
The bill, strongly supported by Minister Lollobrigida, has been worked on in synergy with the Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, and represents a concrete commitment by the Meloni government to defend the agri-food system in Italia, to allow companies that operate correctly to compete in a fair market, where citizens can have confidence in what they buy, and where the value of Made in Italy is protected and enhanced at every stage of the supply chain.
