CROATIAN TO REGULATE PRODUCTION OF ECOLOGICAL FOOD BY LAW

ZAGREB, May 24 (Hina) - In different opinions on drafting a strategy of the development of the Croatian agriculture, promoters of the ecological food production are increasingly louder in voicing their. Even though such a production exists in Croatia for 20 years already, it is missing a legal regulation, which could soon be solved because the Government forwarded a bill on ecological production of agricultural and food processing products to the procedure. The law would regulate the production, processing, trade and way of marking ecological products. Promoters of the ecological production believe that such a production, as an alternative conventional agriculture, has all chances for success and it could become a factor of the economic recovery and Croatia's stability, due to favourable production conditions in the entire country and opportunities on markets abroad. There is also an opinion that in conditions in which Croatia was not producing enough food for its need, the strategy must primarily be directed toward the settling of needs at a "conventional way" and then be directed at alternative forms of food production. Experts of the Zagreb Agronomy Faculty believe that the bill regulates all significant issues of Ecological agriculture, and its passing should solve the "bottle neck" of the further progress of such a production. Professor of the Osijek Agricultural Faculty Davor Samota said that due to a serious of reasons, including Croatia's joining the World Trade Organisation, it was necessary to pass the law. (hina) it mm