Graduates of Broadcasting and Cyber Universities Also Eligible for GAP Certification Auditor Employment

Revision and Enforcement of the 'Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act Enforcement Rules' on the 12th
Easing of Personnel and Facility Standards, Shortening of Renewal Processing Period

From now on, graduates of the Korea National Open University or cyber universities will also be able to work as certification auditors for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification bodies. Previously, only graduates from universities or junior colleges were eligible, but this change follows the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' relaxation of personnel standards.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it will revise and implement the "Enforcement Rules of the Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act" to include this change. The revised rules will take effect from the 12th and will apply equally to new applications as well as renewal applications for existing GAP certification bodies and management facilities.

Regarding the background of this system improvement, the Ministry explained, "By relaxing the designation criteria for GAP certification bodies and excellent management facilities, we aim to encourage the hiring and employment opportunities of personnel in related fields, reduce the cost burden caused by facility construction and repair, and clarify the standards for calculating administrative sanctions for aggravated penalties, thereby improving and supplementing deficiencies."

A GAP certification body refers to an organization that meets separate standards for personnel and facilities necessary for the certification and management of Good Agricultural Practices and the designation and management of excellent management facilities. Excellent management facilities are facilities equipped with personnel and equipment according to separate standards for post-harvest hygiene and safety management of agricultural products.

According to the revised rules, the personnel standards related to degree acquisition among the designation criteria for GAP certification bodies and excellent management facilities have been relaxed. The types of universities recognized for degree acquisition have been expanded from universities or junior colleges to all schools defined under the Higher Education Act, and prospective degree holders are now included in the personnel standards.

The facility standards for the interior walls and ceilings of washing and packaging workplaces for washed agricultural products within the designation criteria for excellent management facilities have also been relaxed. If the agricultural products handled at the facility are not washed agricultural products processed to be ready for immediate consumption by consumers and a hygiene and cleanliness management plan has been established, exposure of protruding parts is now permitted. Additionally, if an excellent management facility uses groundwater, it meets the designation criteria even if there is a pollution source within 20 meters of the groundwater intake, provided the intake is located where it will not be affected by contamination.

The regulations on aggravated penalties have been simplified and clarified. When imposing aggravated administrative sanctions based on the number of violations, the application sequence of the aggravated penalty is defined as the next sequence following the previous administrative sanction for that violation, clearly specifying the method for calculating the application sequence. This is in accordance with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's "Measures to Clarify Administrative Sanctions for Aggravated Penalties."

Furthermore, to improve administrative convenience, the processing period for renewal applications of GAP certification bodies will be reduced from the existing three months to two months.

Kim Jong-gu, Director of Distribution and Consumer Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "The regulatory improvement effect expected from relaxing the standards for washing and packaging workplaces in excellent management facilities is estimated to be about 234 million KRW. We will continue to actively identify and improve excessive or unnecessary regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.