The Quality Schemes (Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs) Regulations 2018.

The Quality Schemes (Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs) Regulations 2018 provides for the enforcement of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, together with supplementary Commission Regulations concerning protected designations of origin, protected geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed, Union symbols, procedural rules and the optional quality term “mountain product”. The instrument concerns agricultural products and foodstuffs with value-adding characteristics and establishes the domestic enforcement framework for protected names, quality terms, labelling and related consumer-protection rules. The Regulations designate the Secretary of State as the competent authority and provide for enforcement authorities and authorised officers to execute and enforce the relevant EU quality scheme rules. Enforcement authorities must report to the Secretary of State when exercising powers of entry or issuing enforcement notices. Authorised officers are empowered to enter premises, inspect and search premises, require production of labels, documents and records, inspect containers, equipment and computer data, take copies, mark items for identification, seize and detain evidentiary material, and require assistance or information where necessary for enforcement. The Regulations also protect authorised officers from personal liability where they act in good faith within the scope of their functions. The instrument establishes enforcement mechanisms for misuse or misleading use of protected designations of origin, protected geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms. Compliance notices may be served where a person markets products under protected names without the required labelling, misuses or evokes a registered name, uses false or misleading indications of origin or essential qualities, or engages in practices liable to mislead consumers.