Act No. 38 Provisions regarding the agricultural sector.

The present Act constitutes a delegation law which lays down the principles and general criteria to be followed by the Government in the drafting of bills relating to the agricultural, forestry, food, fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The Government shall adopt within one year from the entry into force of this Act one or more Legislative Decrees in order to complete the modernization of the sectors aforementioned. Article 1 lays down with detail the principles and directives that the Government shall necessarily take into account, which include among others: a) setting up of a system of permanent cooperation among the Central Government, the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces; b) ensuring the proper functioning of the market and guaranteeing at the same time the protection of human health and consumers’ interests, in accordance with the principle of transparency; c) harmonization of the provisions in matter of prevention of fraudulent practices; d) simplification of administrative procedures relative to the placing on the market and use of phytosanitary products; e) encouragement of the creation of producers’ organizations; f) determination of suitable measures for the conservation of fish species and stocks. In accordance with article 2, the Government is also empowered to adopt a Legislative Decree intended for revising provisions in force in matter of ecological production (the revision shall affect in particular Legislative Decree No. 220 of 17 March 1995). Lastly, article 3 lays down some amendments to the Financial Act No. 488 of 23 December 1999. The same article provides for the establishment of the Special Fund for Research in the Ecological Agriculture Sector.