The 208th ordinary session of the Japanese Diet passed the Act on Partial Amendment to the Act on Export of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Food, which was promulgated on May 25, 2022, and came into effect on October 1, 2022.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
The amendment to the JAS Act aims to promote the export of Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food by: (1) adding organic alcoholic beverages to the scope of JAS certification categories, (2) establishing a framework for affixing foreign grading labels, (3) establishing rules for information sharing among registered certifying bodies, and (4) establishing provisions obligating the state to endeavor to conduct equivalence negotiations on JAS standards and international standardization.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
A summary of the amendment is as follows:บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
(1) Adding organic alcoholic beverages to the scope of establishing JAS standardsบทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
Until now, if an equivalence agreement for organic certification of agricultural products and processed agricultural products had been concluded with the United States, Canada, the European Union, or other countries, it was possible to export products bearing organic labels by obtaining organic JAS certification in Japan (even without separately obtaining organic certification in the destination country).บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
However, alcoholic beverages were not within the scope of the JAS Act and were therefore excluded from equivalence with other countries. In light of the growing organic food markets in the United States, the European Union, and other countries, organic alcoholic beverages have been added to the scope of JAS standards. In the future, equivalence agreements concerning organic alcoholic beverage certification will be concluded with the governments of other countries to expand exports of organic alcoholic beverages. With the addition of alcoholic beverages to the scope of the JAS Act, the ministers having jurisdiction over matters relating to alcoholic beverages under the JAS Act will be the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
(2) Establishing rules for affixing foreign grading labelsบทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
Until now, it was possible to label agricultural and forestry products graded in accordance with JAS standards to indicate that the grading was based on a national grading system for which equivalence with the relevant agricultural and forestry products has been recognized (foreign grading indication). Rules for affixing foreign grade labels have now been established.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
(3) Rules for information sharing among registered certifying bodiesบทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
When exporting by utilizing equivalence with a foreign government, certification must be obtained from a registered certifying body pre-approved by the foreign government. In order to reduce the burden of certification audits and other matters, the recent amendment allows registered certifying bodies to request other registered certifying bodies to provide records of previous certification audits and other matters, and to share information with them. This is expected to reduce the burden and time required for audits and to enable operators planning to export to promptly obtain certification from a certifying body already approved by a foreign government, thereby increasing exports using JAS certification.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
(4) Provisions concerning the obligation of the state to endeavor to take measures for obtaining equivalence certification, etc.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/
In order to further encourage the flexible use of equivalence certification for exports, the state and other parties are obligated to endeavor to take measures such as conducting equivalence recognition negotiations with foreign governments and taking necessary measures to internationalize JAS standards.บทความมาจากFOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/th/19517/