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Ministry Lifts Ban on Turkish/Azerbaijani Food Imports: Winners and Losers
http://hetq.am/eng/news/29680/ministry-lifts-ban-on-turkish/azerbaijani-food-imports-winners-and-losers.html
Vahe Sarukhanyan
13:46, September 28, 2013
On June 7 of this year, Armenia's Minister of Agriculture Sergo
Karapetyan lifted a ban on the importation of food products from
Turkey and Azerbaijan that had been decreed in 2009 by his
predecessor, Gersim Alaverdyan.
That ban, on meat, fruits and vegetables, was ostensibly for health
and safety reasons.
Surprisingly, the Ministry never publicized the lifting on the ban as
prescribed by law.
When Hetq wrote to the Ministry regarding this omission, they
responded by citing Article 61 of the Law of Individual Legal Acts in
an attempt to justify their concealing the lifting of the ban.
As the Ministry interpreted the law, they are only obliged to inform
those agencies and officials, or citizens, affected by the law and
that it is up to those agencies/officials to publicize the new
decision to a wider audience; i.e. the public.
The Ministry even failed to publish news of the lifting of the ban in
its own website. In fact, it was only on September 20, after the press
got hold of the story, that the Ministry saw fit to publish an
explanation as to why the 2009 temporary ban had been lifted.
In its explanation of September 20, the Ministry argued that the 2009
ban proved ineffective and that even more Turkish and Azerbaijani
products were illegally entering the country. The Ministry also noted
that Armenia and Turkey are members of the World Trade Organization
and that no member state can unilaterally place trade restrictions on
another.
In essence, the Ministry said that the 2009 ban not only didn't have
any teeth, because it was merely a ministerial decree, but that it was
illegal as well since it restricted the rights and freedoms enshrined
in Armenia's Constitution.
The Ministry also argues that only a government sponsored law could
have effectively placed a restriction on certain imports. So why
didn't the Ministry, in collaboration with the government, draft such
a bill and introduce it to the National Assembly for passage?
The question naturally arises, so why did it take the Ministry four
years to recognize the errors of its way.
The Ministry now claims that absent the ban its Food and Safety
Inspectorate (FSI) has the resources to effectively test imported food
and food products according to the highest safe and health standards.
But the Ministry itself has confessed that even under the ban the FSI
failed to halt the importation of banned food products from Turkey
and Azerbaijan. The Ministry fails to state what has changed within
the FSI to make it an effective watchdog agency today.
This is an issue of national security.
We have Turkey and Azerbaijan, two countries with which Armenia has,
to put it mildly, less than amicable relations, whose produce can
theoretically be imported into Armenia.
Other than the FSI, an agency already proven to be ineffective food
safety watchdog, who can assure the Armenian public than imports from
these two countries are indeed fit for consumption?
Put more correctly, what if, by accident or design, such produce poses
a dire safety risk to Armenian consumers?
The Armenian government appears unconcerned with such matters.
On the contrary, by lifting the ban, Agriculture Minister Karapetyan
has lifted any remaining veil of pretense as to whose interests come
first - the consumer or the commercial oligarchs.
That flashing yellow light, which many didn't heed to begin with, is now green.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/29680/ministry-lifts-ban-on-turkish/azerbaijani-food-imports-winners-and-losers.html
Vahe Sarukhanyan
13:46, September 28, 2013
On June 7 of this year, Armenia's Minister of Agriculture Sergo
Karapetyan lifted a ban on the importation of food products from
Turkey and Azerbaijan that had been decreed in 2009 by his
predecessor, Gersim Alaverdyan.
That ban, on meat, fruits and vegetables, was ostensibly for health
and safety reasons.
Surprisingly, the Ministry never publicized the lifting on the ban as
prescribed by law.
When Hetq wrote to the Ministry regarding this omission, they
responded by citing Article 61 of the Law of Individual Legal Acts in
an attempt to justify their concealing the lifting of the ban.
As the Ministry interpreted the law, they are only obliged to inform
those agencies and officials, or citizens, affected by the law and
that it is up to those agencies/officials to publicize the new
decision to a wider audience; i.e. the public.
The Ministry even failed to publish news of the lifting of the ban in
its own website. In fact, it was only on September 20, after the press
got hold of the story, that the Ministry saw fit to publish an
explanation as to why the 2009 temporary ban had been lifted.
In its explanation of September 20, the Ministry argued that the 2009
ban proved ineffective and that even more Turkish and Azerbaijani
products were illegally entering the country. The Ministry also noted
that Armenia and Turkey are members of the World Trade Organization
and that no member state can unilaterally place trade restrictions on
another.
In essence, the Ministry said that the 2009 ban not only didn't have
any teeth, because it was merely a ministerial decree, but that it was
illegal as well since it restricted the rights and freedoms enshrined
in Armenia's Constitution.
The Ministry also argues that only a government sponsored law could
have effectively placed a restriction on certain imports. So why
didn't the Ministry, in collaboration with the government, draft such
a bill and introduce it to the National Assembly for passage?
The question naturally arises, so why did it take the Ministry four
years to recognize the errors of its way.
The Ministry now claims that absent the ban its Food and Safety
Inspectorate (FSI) has the resources to effectively test imported food
and food products according to the highest safe and health standards.
But the Ministry itself has confessed that even under the ban the FSI
failed to halt the importation of banned food products from Turkey
and Azerbaijan. The Ministry fails to state what has changed within
the FSI to make it an effective watchdog agency today.
This is an issue of national security.
We have Turkey and Azerbaijan, two countries with which Armenia has,
to put it mildly, less than amicable relations, whose produce can
theoretically be imported into Armenia.
Other than the FSI, an agency already proven to be ineffective food
safety watchdog, who can assure the Armenian public than imports from
these two countries are indeed fit for consumption?
Put more correctly, what if, by accident or design, such produce poses
a dire safety risk to Armenian consumers?
The Armenian government appears unconcerned with such matters.
On the contrary, by lifting the ban, Agriculture Minister Karapetyan
has lifted any remaining veil of pretense as to whose interests come
first - the consumer or the commercial oligarchs.
That flashing yellow light, which many didn't heed to begin with, is now green.