Penalties for Organic Product Certification Companies

The Ministry of Development announced the first penalties for companies certifying organic products. The penalties will be imposed by the National Accreditation System (ESYD), following inspections that revealed serious irregularities.

According to APE-MPE, ESYD is expected to meet within the coming week to impose sanctions on the two companies where the audit process has been completed. The complaints have already been forwarded to the competent prosecutors by the Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakos.

The first case concerns a company based in Heraklion, Crete, which is proposed to have a six-month suspension of accreditation due to serious irregularities, such as the downgrading of critical findings. The second case concerns a company based in Athens, where nine Non-Conformities were identified, including a conflict of interest.

Inspections continue in all accredited companies in the sector, with the aim of ensuring the reliability of certifications and the safety of consumers.