OREANDA-NEWS. December 08, 2009. During the meeting the Parliament has approved the relevant amendments to the Law on production and turnover of alcoholic beverages and ethyl alcohol, which also include abolition of mandatory certification of each shipment of the exported wine products.

As the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Valeriu Cosarciuc has informed, the introduction of the state trade mark for alcohol beverages for export, has negatively affected activity of the Moldovan wineries, has resulted in additional costs for the purchase of excise stamps and labeling of alcohol beverages, has increased its costs and reduced competitiveness at the foreign markets.

According to the Agro-Industrial Agency "Moldova-vin", from December 2006 to September 2009, the manufacturers of alcohol beverages have purchased 209.5 million trade marks totaling US41.9 million leis (US3,8 million). The Agriculture Minister also noted that modifications should help to facilitate and expand export of Moldovan wines and spirits. From 1 January 2007, the ban on the export of goods not marked with the state trademark was imposed in Moldova.

It was introduced in order to strengthen quality control of alcoholic beverages, identifying producers of poor-quality goods and to ensure objectivity of audit results in time of the export of alcohol goods. Under current legislation, excisable alcoholic products were labeled with the mark "Excise mark. The state trade mark ", which was issued by the General State Tax Inspection and the Agro-Industrial Agency" Moldova-vin "for corresponding fee.