Oh, PET, what surge that sound can start in every Russian’s heart!
So, dear readers, the question concerning PET limiting became a real check of administrative and political maturity of the highest-level leaders.
As you know, we’ve been trying to limit PET use for a long time and we didn’t intend to do much harm to Russian brewers, or colleagues and our friends, but to stop double standard policy in the brewing industry, forcing by some famous companies.
We respect and appreciate transnational companies, operating in our country!
But it refers to companies working for the welfare of Russian agricultural industry, our citizens, investing to production of modern equipment and other products. We doubt that somebody can find a man who’ll say that cars produced in Kaluga or St. Petersburg, tractors or combines from Tatarstan and Krasnodar, elevators and grain cleaning machinery, chemical protecting agents or seeds produced by large companies, are made according to quality standards, not matching with characteristics, accepted in the native country.
No doubt, quality standards of these products are equal for all countries where mentioned equipment or other products are sold. Very often, most of characteristics are improved for Russia, taking into account climatic and other parameters. Quality standards shall not differ. Otherwise, Russian agrarians “hunted down by a pitchfork-wielding mob” if, for example, used seeds didn’t pass a test for frost or a new tractor didn’t start up in the morning.
And as for food industry, the situation differs cardinally. For unclear reasons, there is an opinion in brewing, food and processing industries that “third world countries” (as we are ranked by some representatives) can use products, unsuitable abroad. And lobbyism of large companies sets no limits to these questions. For example, limit for use of palm oil discussed at President’s level and it conveys a great deal…
As for PET limits, there were supporters, represented by ambassadors of some countries, the Ministries for Economic Development and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and unfortunately from the Government of the RF (the same supporters as in palm oil issue).
But as the saying runs: the pitcher goes often to the well, but is broken at last. We’d like to thank persons in the Ministries, Departments, Presidential Administration, the Government, State Duma Federation Council and personally to the President of RUSAL Oleg Deripaska who paid much attention to PET problem.
As a result, the Ministry of Finance of the RF proposed to amend the draft bill concerning PET use. In practice, the draft bill will be studied and pass the second reading by the end of the spring session.
According to amendments, alcohol production and circulation in PET containers over 1,5 l. will be prohibited since January 1, 2017. Retail trade will be given additional six months for distribution of stock resources – till July 1, 2017. You can find amendments by reference.
What next? Will limits of PET containers, exceeding 0,5 -1 l. be introduced? No doubt, yes – as soon as composition of the State Duma and the Government of the RF is changed and many problems of the brewing industry are unfrozen.
The course of events or “Seven circles of PET”:
The draft bill concerning limiting of PET for alcohol, in particular for beer, emerged in 2013. According to this bill, PET prohibition should be imposed on a phased basis, so it is dangerous for health and attractive for counterfeit production.
In June 2014, this draft bill was approved in the first reading by all deputies but thanks to efforts of representatives of transnational brewing business it was “in a cold storage”.
Last year, in April, the Government of the RF offered to impose a ban on alcohol production in PET containers exceeding 1,5l. from July 1, 2016 and then switch to 0,5l.
In September, Presidential Administration entrusted the working group with a task to complete this draft bill and present it for the second reading. Last year, in November, the Federation Council recommended to introduce limits for production and distribution of beer in PET, exceeding 1,5l. from July 1, 2016 and from January 1, 2017 – over 0,5l.
The first start to moving of the draft bill was given by the Prime-Minister of the RF within the meeting in Perm in March 30, 2016.
Detailed information concerning phased PET limiting is available in our site via search box.
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