Activities

From July 2006 to January 2007 the Union "Century 21" with support of BP-PTC and GTZ is implementing project "Business Development Programme - Borjomi".

Project includes the analysis of sanitary-hygienic situation in cattle-breeding, testing of simple hygienic measures and procedures that can be applied by the rural population of Georgia in the production and processing of food to improve the quality and safety of these products, project also include laboratory testing.

Within the project in four villages (Bakuriani, Tsikhisdziri, Gujareti and Tsagveri) of Borjomi rayon is going the following activities:

• Analyses of habitual hygienic measures and mediums used by the population;
• Develop simple, easy to apply means to improve the hygienic conditions in the work process, making best use of available resources;
• Test these procedures on target groups and adapt them to improve their acceptance with the people;
• Monitor the influence of the procedures applied on the hygienic status of the local products;
• In above mentioned villages periodically is going the laboratory testing of water, soil, milk and milk products, grass, meat and meat products, also determination of tuberculosis and brucellosis in Cattle’s blood;

Within the project was editing the booklet (Georgian and Russian version), which include the recommendations for locals how to improve of sanitary-hygienic conditions.

From October, 2006 The Union “Century 21” with support of “Eurasia” South Caucasus Cooperation Programme and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is implementing regional project “Public Initiative for Raising of Food safety in the South Caucasus”.

The main objectives of the project are:

• To reduce and eradicate to bring in the law quality food in the South Caucasus (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia);
• To improve the legislative base for eradication the spreading of danger foods;
• To raise public awareness about the demands of the local and international standards.

Within the project was conducted the market monitoring at Georgia-Azerbaijan and Georgia-Armenia frontier borders, in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Marneuli. At the monitoring was gained 50 different kinds of products for the study of etiquette. Please see the monitoring results.

At the moment is going work to improve of legislative base. More concrete is going work on the following laws: “food-stuff and Tobacco”, “Consumers Rights Protection”, “Food Safety and Quality”, “Certification of production and service”.

At the same time is going work on new draft law (bill) “To take out from revolving and destroy of unhealthy food-stuff and animal feed”

On 25 of January 2007 the organization, in cooperation with the Public Defender Office of Georgia, organized round table meeting at the office of Public Defender. At the meeting were invited representatives of relevant governmental structures, legislature bodies and memebrs of other organizations. At the meeting was presented the results of the monitoring work and was held discussions on the following topics: the food additives, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and legislature base in country.

In February in different superstores of Tbilisi were gained 3-3 various kind of products of Chocolate, Tea and Sausage and were conducted the laboratory testing of these products. Please see the results of the Laboratory tests.

The second training course “Launching the Entrepreneurial Activities for Fruit Production and Processing" was implemented in Batumi on 10 March, 2006. The tasks of the training were to develop training material on legal issues related to launching entrepreneurial activities for fruit production and processing and to provide sufficient information about the Sanitary Rules of: Agrarian markets, Places or realization, Storages and Places of production for fruit product producers

In cooperation with the USAID-AgVANTAGE has been started a long-term training course for the farmers and local businessmen.

On 29 November, 2005 was conducted the training course "Launching the Entrepreneurial Activities for Meat and Dairy Production" in Kutaisi. The tasks of the training were to develop training material on legal issues related to launching entrepreneurial activities for meat and dairy production and to provide sufficient information for dairy/meat product producers.

From January to June 2005, with support of the USAID/GEGI there was implemented the project "The Protection of Consumers' Rights: Challenges and Opportunities".

The project envisaged the following activities: work out the initiatives and submission to the respective structures, on the basis of remarks to work out recommendations for implementation of the structural reforms and their lobbing; conduct monitoring on the main consumer markets and testing (laboratory research) of the basic foodstuffs in Tbilisi; create full-time working groups with participation of entrepreneurs. The working meetings were held regularly to solve all identified problems. Within the project was edited and disseminated the desk-book"Basics of Consumerism" and on a regular basis were issued newspaper appendixes covering market monitoring results.

From November 2003 to December 2004 with support of the Eurasia Foundation was implemented the project "For the Protection of Consumers' Rights".

The following activities were accomplished: improvement the protection of consumers' rights by monitoring grocery stores in Tbilisi, analyzing their rules and performance regarding legal standards. Under the project, the organization undertook a campaign to raise public awareness, which included the provision of information through notice boards at the stores, booklets and radio programs, as well as through consultations at the project office and from meetings with consumers and other stakeholders. Based on the analysis of monitoring reports and complaints received through the consultations, the most reliable and consumer-oriented grocery stores were identified and were given special signs of recognition. The organization judged the most reliable and highest quality grocery stores and held an award ceremony that was covered by the media. Our efforts were dedicated to increase the public's role in improving the consumers' rights situation, and will raise public awareness and media interest in the activation of the existing legal provisions.

From December 2002 to March 2003, with the support of German Technical Collaboration (GTZ) was implemented regional project - "Public Education on Safety of Food Products in Frontier Regions".

The main activity of the project was training course conducted in parallel in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The course was aimed at training of customs officers, trading firms and authorities and to help them in monitoring. The project beneficiaries were also representatives of non-governmental sector and media. A book titled "Collection of Legal Acts on Consumers' Rights" was published and free of charge spread among consumers and relevant state structures.

From August 2002 to April 2003, with support of the REC Caucasus was implemented the regional project "Independent control over ecological cleanness and safety of foodstuffs". Within the project was conducted independent laboratory examinations and testing of the foodstuffs for their ecological safety.

In 2001- 2002, with support of the Eurasia Foundation was implemented regional project - "The Movement of Consumers of the South Caucasus". The project was implemented in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The project was aimed at addressing the consumer rights at regional level through a public awareness campaign and analysis of consumer legislation.

The project partners formed experts' team to monitor local markets in Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan. The monitors sought out counterfeit and expired products and those stored improperly or labeled in languages unintelligible to local consumers. The monitors compiled lists of defective products as well as a monthly comparative price analysis of food products sold in all three countries. The results of the weekly market surveys and lists of faulty products were reported in radio programs and printed in the local media.

In November, 2000, with support of the Eurasia Foundation was implemented the contact making meeting among the leading consumers organizations from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since the meeting, the Union "Century 21" joined forces with the Union for the Protection of Consumers' Rights (Armenia) and the Independent Consumer's Union (Azerbaijan) for implementation of regional activities.