Russian language banned for product labeling: a new bill registered in the Parliament
A bill No. 15356 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, proposing changes to the language requirements for information about goods and services.
The document stipulates that after presenting information in the state language, it can be duplicated in any other language except the language of the state that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has recognized as an aggressor state (occupying state).
What the bill proposes
The bill aims to amend legislation regulating the provision of information to consumers about goods, works, services, food products, and feed labeling.
Currently, the legislation allows duplicating mandatory information in any other language. The bill proposes to establish an exception and prohibit the use of the language of the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state (occupying state) for this purpose.
Which laws are proposed to be amended
The document provides for amendments to:
- The Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language";
- The Law of Ukraine "On Consumer Information Regarding Food Products";
- The Law of Ukraine "On the Safety and Hygiene of Feed".
In all three laws, it is proposed to establish a uniform approach regarding the possibility of duplicating information in other languages.
What will change for manufacturers and sellers
The bill proposes to maintain the requirement to provide information about goods, works, and services in the state language, while establishing that it can be duplicated in any other language except the language of the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state (occupying state).
A similar approach is proposed for information about food products. It is envisaged that, at the decision of the market operator, a translation in other languages may be placed alongside the text presented in the state language, except for the language of the aggressor state.
The same changes are planned for the legislation on feed safety and hygiene. In particular, the market operator will be able to place translations of labeling in other languages only if it is not the language of the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state (occupying state).
Rationale for the changes
The explanatory note states that current legislation does not contain exceptions regarding the languages in which consumer information may be duplicated.
The authors of the bill point out that after the Verkhovna Rada recognized the Russian Federation as an aggressor state, language policy becomes an element of national security, and the use of the aggressor state's language in commercial information creates its symbolic presence in Ukraine's information space.
The bill aims to minimize such influence and strengthen legal guarantees for the functioning of the state language.
What this means for business
Once the law comes into force, business entities using multilingual labeling or informational materials will need to check their compliance with the new requirements.
At the same time, the bill does not restrict the possibility of duplicating information in other foreign languages — the restriction will apply exclusively to the language of the state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state (occupying state).
Additionally read: “Judicial and Legal Newspaper” also analyzed another legislative initiative that provides for fines up to 170,000 UAH for playing Russian music in public places.
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