The President of the State adopts a federal law regulating the strategic stock of food commodities in the country

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, has approved Federal Law No. 3 of 2020 on organizing the strategic stock of food commodities in the country, aimed at organizing the strategic stock of foodstuffs in the country in the event of crises, emergencies and disasters, and achieving sustainability in the field of food .

The law, whose provisions apply to the supplier and the registered merchant, outlines a number of obligations to implement the procedures of the law. It also specifies the competences of the Ministry of Economy for the purposes of implementing the provisions of the law, which is to propose policies, plans and programs related to the strategic stock of food commodities in coordination with the competent authority and present them to the Council of Ministers for approval, coordination With the joint economic committees of the commodity supplying countries on programs related to the strategic stock of food commodities, and the development of plans and programs for the size and quantity of the safety stock and related to increasing the capacity of the strategic stock of food commodities in In the case of increased demand for food commodities at the state level

The Ministry also has jurisdiction, as defined by law, to prepare reports, studies, statistics and economic evaluation on food commodities, estimate the volume of consumption, determine surplus and deficits, prepare databases on the production and availability of food commodities in the country and countries of origin, and follow them with suppliers, in addition to coordinating and implementing insurance, sustainability and safety policies for the strategic commodity stock Food, in coordination with the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the competent authority, to achieve a safe strategic stock of food commodities.

The law specified for the Ministry a periodic review with the competent authority to verify the existing balance of food commodities with the registered merchant, oversee the preparation of databases and electronic linkage, regarding stores and strategic stocks of food commodities and requirements for storing food commodities, and control the commitment of registered suppliers and merchants to the regulations and instructions related to implementing the provisions of this The law, defining and updating a list of food commodities, determining the size of the strategic stock for food commodities and the percentage of the safety stock, along with reporting periodically to the cabinet on the strategic stock of commodities Of food in the state, as defined law that the Minister may form a sub-committee or more to implement the terms of reference referred to in this article.

Obligations of the Provider and the Registered Merchant.

The law specifies among its articles the establishment of the ministry after coordination with the competent authority, a record of registration and classification of suppliers and merchants, and determines by a decision of the minister the conditions and procedures for registration, as well as the obligations of the provider and the registered merchant have been identified so that it is committed to maintaining a safety stock in accordance with the provisions of the law, and supply of strategic stocks of food commodities upon request, Electronic linking with the competent authority and the authority to ensure the continuous monitoring of quantities, varieties and status of the strategic stock of food commodities, and the implementation of decisions issued by the competent authority.

The obligations also include the distribution of the strategic commodity stock in the event of emergencies, crises or disasters in accordance with the distribution plans that are prepared by the authority in coordination with the competent authority.

The producer or importer who provides food commodities to distributors and merchants, whether from within or outside the state, and the registered merchant means the person who engages in a commercial activity related to food commodities and is licensed in the state for the purpose of implementing this law.

- Warehouses and storage conditions.

The law obliges the registered merchant to manage the strategic stock of food commodities and the warehouse, by specifying the location, area and size of the store designated for the strategic stock of food commodities, provided that it is within the state, and notify the competent authority of the location of the store, as well as the preservation and management of the strategic stock of food commodities in accordance with the specifications and standards adopted in the state.

Incentives and facilities.

The law specifies among the articles that it is permissible to grant incentives and facilities to the registered provider and merchant in accordance with the conditions and controls issued by a decision of the Council of Ministers, based on the proposal of the minister, and after coordination with the competent authority.

Penalties for violators of provisions and articles.

The law specifies, within the penal provisions, a number of penalties that include a fine of no less than / 500,000/ five hundred thousand dirhams and not more than / 2,000,000 / two million dirhams, whoever violates the obligations outlined in the law for the supplier and the registered merchant.

Whoever violates the electronic link with the competent authority and the authority to ensure the continued follow-up of quantities, varieties and status of the strategic stock of food commodities, and the violation of the preservation and management of the strategic stock of food commodities, shall be punished by a fine of not less than / 100,000,000 / one hundred thousand dirhams and not more than / 1,000,000 / million dirhams. According to the specifications and standards approved in the country.

Whoever violates the rule of distributing commodity strategic goods in the event of emergencies, crises or disasters in accordance with the distribution plans that are prepared by the authority in coordination With the competent authority, while the penalties prescribed for the crimes stipulated in this law are doubled in case of repetition.

- Judicial police.

The law determines the possibility for employees who are determined by a decision of the Minister of Justice in agreement with the minister or the head of the competent authority, the capacity of judicial seizure officers to prove what is in violation of the provisions of this law and the regulations and decisions issued in implementation of it in their jurisdiction.