1. Reasons for Amendment

○ This Amendment promotes efficient operation of the “Detailed Instructions on Good Agricultural Practices Certification, Etc.” (NAQS Notice) by addressing a number of issues that have emerged from the operation process.

2. Major Provisions

A. Ensure safety by streamlining the certification application period for ginseng and medicinal crops (Article 4) 

ㅇ (Before) One month prior to the first harvest → (After) Before 2/3 of the growth period has elapsed 

B. Improve selection criteria to prevent duplication in the scope of production process investigations (Article 14) 

ㅇ Select farms for investigation from among those other than farms that are part of a sample assessment of a group and farms that have undergone a production process investigation at least once.

C. Improve provisions to prescribe that where a product does not meet the safety standards of an initial destination country and is instead being exported to another country, it shall meet the safety standards of this new destination country (Article 15 (3)) 

D. Newly insert provisions on issuing prior notifications pursuant to Article 17 of the “Framework Act on Administrative Investigations” when investigating distribution/sales processes (Article 15 (5)) 

E. Improve provisions to prescribe that products not conforming to safety standards shall be subject to attached Table 6 of the “Detailed Instructions on Good Agricultural Practices Certification, Etc.” and add measures taken to address distribution/sales processes pursuant to the amended Table 1 of the “Enforcement decree of the Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act” (Article 17 (8))

F. Newly insert provisions to allow the Director General to adjust the criteria, method, deadline, etc. for completion of basic education on Good Agricultural Practices in the event of a natural disaster, infectious disease outbreak, or other unavoidable circumstances (Article 18-2 (6)) 

G. Clarify detailed requirements for Good Agricultural Practices certification (attached Table 1)

1) Improve provisions to prescribe that any agricultural product eligible for certification shall be tested for residual pesticides, and that education shall be completed before applying to renew a certification. Exclude agricultural corporations from the scope of recognition of basic education in the same business entity.

2) Allow e-learning as a method of administering basic education for new certification applications.

H. Clarify detailed assessment procedures and methods to reinforce the integrity of certification (attached Table 3)

1) Clarify that a sample assessment shall be carried out as an on-site assessment for a group certification, and improve provisions to prescribe that an on-site assessment shall be conducted after the completion of a document review in accordance with the assessment procedure.

2) Reinforce the integrity of assessment and follow-up by increasing the sample extraction size of sample assessments for certification applications from producer organizations.

ㅇ (Before) Square root if at least 11 and up to 100 persons, at least 10% if 101 persons or more → (After) Square root if at least 11 and up to 35 persons, at least 20% if 36 persons or more

3) Improve convenience for farmers by updating agricultural business information and prescribing the processing of certification applications by checking registered information on agricultural business entities during the document screening process. 

I. Improve detailed instructions for farmers on how to prepare “risk management plans” (attached Form 1)

J. Improve the evaluation report and chart in accordance with the amended “Good Agricultural Practices” (attached Form 4)

A) Newly insert or improve provisions to prescribe the recall program documentation, management of materials, water, manure, pest and disease control, harvesting, storage, and other safety control matters stipulated in the amended “Good Agricultural Practices.” 

ㅇ Evaluation items: (Before) 73 items (60 compulsory, 13 recommended) 193 points → (After) 106 items (87 compulsory, 19 recommended) 279 points