EAEU agrees to adopt Russian packaged water labelling

Russia's track and trace system for packaged water products will be adopted by countries in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), according to a TASS news agency report.

The EAEU nations – which along with Russia include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan – will carry out a phased introduction of the labelling system, with member states deciding the timeline for implementation.

Russia ran a pilot of its wide-ranging Chestny ZNAK track and trace system in the packaged water sector between April 2020 and June 2021, a category that includes mineral and carbonated waters, waters without sweeteners or other flavourings, and non-carbonated water.

2D datamatrix codes used in the Russian pilot included at least three data points, namely a 14-digit GTIN, a 13-character serial number, and a 4-character verification code, with an optional fourth data point for other information like price or expiration date.

Kazakhstan meanwhile is currently testing the labelling for all soft drinks, including mineral water, according to TASS.

It is anticipated that the Chestny ZNAK scheme will eventually be applied all consumer goods traded in the domestic market – including imports –  making them digitally traceable at the unit level, offering protection against counterfeit goods, and making it easier to harvest tax revenues.

For packaged water, the first stage of mandatory labelling kicked off on September 1, from which date all manufacturers and importers – as well as wholesalers and retailers – had to be registered with the Chestny ZNAK system.

From December 1, all packaged mineral water that is produced in Russia or imported into the territory must be identified using the codes, and the remainder of the category must be labelled with the codes from March 1, 2022.

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