Manufacturers and importers stating a change in the economic situation, the instability of demand, the decline in investment, as well as difficulties with the supply of imported components and materials, the analogues of which are not produced and/or grow on the territory of the Russian Federation and participating countries of the EAEU.

Collective letter to the Minister of economic development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of trade of the EEC Andrey Slepnev signed 4 Association of water market: the Union of manufacturers of soft drinks and mineral waters (WIS), Union of manufacturers of bottled waters (SPBW), Eurasian bottled water Alliance (EAME), the far Eastern Association of drinking, mineral waters and soft drinks (DAPPS) composed of domestic producers of mineral and drinking water which accounted for more than 80% of produced volume in the Russian market.

As stated by the President of the Union of manufacturers of soft drinks and mineral waters Maksim Novikov: "it is Necessary for the period until the end of 2020 to suspend all current activity on marking to prevent the appearance of additional factors of deterioration as the beverage industry and the agriculture sector as a whole."

Industry representatives noted that additional marking of water control and identification signs appear to be excessive and unreasonable measure, which could become an additional burden on business and lead to a reduction of the water market in the Russian Federation and, as consequence, decrease in tax deductions in budgets of all levels, reduction in the number of jobs, the failure indicators of a number of National projects.

In addition, the Council expressed its concern over the process of running the experiment for the labeling of water in the agricultural enterprises operate in conditions of limited access of unauthorized persons in connection with the pandemic. Despite this the staff CRPT (operator markings) granted permission to visit industries to bypass this rule, which may pose a threat to consumers.

Also, the participants of water market pay attention to the fact that until now there is no approved methodology to assess the appropriateness of labelling of packaged water, the development of which in accordance with the decision of the State Commission to counter illegal turnover of industrial products needed to be completed before 31 March 2020. In addition, the marking is offered as an additional way of anti-counterfeiting, according to the Rospotrebnadzor level of counterfeit goods on the market water does not exceed 1.6%. The expenses of the Russian manufacturers on the organization of labelling of packaged drinking water and traceability will be about 40 billion rubles (or about 5-6 rubles per 1 liter of product). These investments can strengthen the crisis tendencies not only in the beverage industry, but throughout the food industry.

According to the study, the research НИФИ2, with the introduction of the marking of identification on all consumer goods overall cost of business in the Russian Federation alone will be 1.5 trillion. rubles (1.3% of Russia's GDP in 2019 or 7.4% of revenues of the Federal budget in 2019), the average price increase will amount to 5.4%.

The press service of the Union of manufacturers of soft drinks and mineral waters https://softdrinks.ru/