Process of Formation of the Legal Environment for Marketing in Georgia

Abstract

Abstract The article emphasizes significance of the laws within the legal framework for performing marketing activities, timely solution of the problems and protection of the consumers’ interests. The author describes the process of development of the legal framework for business in Georgia and pays particular attention to the activities performed after signing and effectiveness of the Association Agreement with the European Union. With respect of protection of the consumers’ rights, the article provides analysis of Georgian laws: Code of Food Safety and Free Circulation, Code of Food/Animal Fodder Safety, Veterinary and Plants Protection, Georgian Law on Advertising, Technical Regulation on Additional Requirements to Labeling of Food Products, Technical Regulations on Providing Information on the Products to the Consumers. In the author’s opinion, significant weakness of the legislation affecting marketing is the fact that Georgian Law on Protection of Consumers’ Rights suspended in 2012 has not been enacted yet while the draft law is ready and published. On the basis of analysis of legal framework the author concludes that the consumers’ rights, in general, are protected in the country by the effective legislation but the main thing is not only existence of the laws but rather their enforcement. For this purpose, states the article, Georgian government has adopted the resolution (2015) Food/Animal Fodder Safety State Control Rule, according to which the relevant state structures control the respective businesses and protect the consumers’ rights in this way. The process of improvement of the legal basis affecting marketing in Georgia is still in progress.