Marketplaces to verify veterinary medicines and pet food data following NPIA initiative

The National Pet Industry Association (NPIA) initiative to tighten control over marketplace product listings received support from the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and Rosselkhoznadzor. This involves refining the draft Russian Government Decree ID 164451 regulating digital intermediary platforms. Following the association request, state authorities agreed to include additional requirements for verifying information provided by marketplace sellers.

The proposal requires platform operators to verify product listings containing information about veterinary medicines subject to state registration and mandatory identification labeling. Additionally, monitoring will extend to pet food regarding veterinary certificates issued in the Mercury system for products subject to mandatory compliance assessment.

Rosselkhoznadzor identified numerous violations in online veterinary medicine sales, necessitating these changes. A lack of effective marketplace control allows sellers to list products that do not comply with Russian and Eurasian Economic Union legislative requirements.

The initiators believe these measures will strengthen control at the intersection of the platform economy and veterinary regulation, increase veterinary medicine and pet food turnover transparency, and reduce risks associated with counterfeit and unsafe products. Work on improving the industry regulatory framework continues.