The National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) controlled more than 1,000 economic operators in the first month of the Coastal Command 2023 and fined more than 6.5 million lei. Also, almost 100 blocks are temporarily closed until the identified deficiencies are eliminated.

“The Romanian coast remains a zone of contrasts. (…) You have the opportunity to eat foie gras with onion jam next to a plate full of anchovies from an open oven next to another donut,” says ANPC President Horia Constantinescu.

On Friday, ANPC said in a press release that since June 12, 1,188 control actions have been carried out in all sea resorts, of which 72 were triggered by consumer complaints, the rest were operational actions or actions that are part of various control themes.

For detected violations, 1,060 warnings and 1,413 fines for offenses in the amount of more than 6.5 million lei were applied.

In addition, the commissioners of the ANPC also decided to permanently stop the sale of non-compliant products worth about 540,000 lei and to temporarily stop the provision of services until the elimination of deficiencies for 97 economic operators and formulated proposals to stop incorrect commercial practices for 44 business entities.

The main deviations detected by the ANPC commissioners were: the sale of some toys with defects: without translation into Romanian of the elements of identification and characteristics, on the labels (mentions regarding the name and address of the importer, warnings and special recommendations intended for the age of children, etc.), toys, notified through the RAPEX alert system, toys with registered trademarks without a sales license, inappropriate CE marking; shortcomings regarding the labeling of textile products: lack of references to the composition of textiles, lack of translation into Romanian of the characteristics and identification elements of imported products; shortcomings regarding the indication of prices for all products put up for sale and the indication of prices per unit of measurement; unsatisfactory hygienic and sanitary conditions during the provision of public catering services or accommodation of tourists; the use of dangerous products and procedures in the provision of public catering services.

Other violations revealed as a result of the control were: non-compliance with the established and declared storage conditions of raw materials in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; non-observance of the proximity of products in refrigerating rooms at some food units; sale or use of food products with exceeded expiration date/minimum expiration date; lack of display of potentially allergenic ingredients used in the manufacture of drugs; lack of specific mentions on the labels of products obtained from frozen food products; lack of information regarding the number of ingredients, declaration of nutritional value and the presence of additives in ready-made products/dishes provided by collective catering enterprises; use of unfair, deceptive commercial practices; lack of metrological verification of measuring devices; non-fulfillment of the prescribed measures.