According to Euractiv, citing parliamentary sources, the Chamber of Deputies has adopted the Law to stop food waste. The law has been sent to the Presidency for promulgation.

After promulgation, consumers will be able to benefit from reduced prices for food before the expiration date, and the procedure for NGOs to receive non-perishable food will be simplified.

As it has been observed, Romania loses 2.55 million tons of food annually. "The law was drafted from the very beginning by a cross-party working group, precisely to make this project a reality, and after two years of negotiations, we have a favorable final vote," said USR deputy Diana Buzoianu, co-initiator of the project.

The most important provisions are:

• Less bureaucracy: the procedure for NGOs to receive food when it is not highly perishable will be simplified;
• There will be a national platform for reporting data on food waste from operators, created and managed by the Ministry of Agriculture;
• Stores, restaurants, canteens, and authorities that also manage food will be required to apply at least two measures listed by the law before throwing away the food.

Among the measures that can be implemented by economic operators or authorities are:

• Reducing the price of food before the expiration date;
• Donating food;
• Transferring food to be reused for animal feed;
• Using food for composting.

(Photo: Freepik)