Davit Songulashvili: “We Have Decided to Abolish Certification Service Fees for Small Wineries”

Small wineries will be exempt from the service fee for issuing certificates of conformity for alcoholic beverages intended for the domestic market. The amendment will take effect once the required procedures have been completed.

According to Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Davit Songulashvili, the decision to waive certification fees for small wineries was made following consultations with them.

“Supporting small wineries is our priority. Following consultations with them, we took their concerns into account and decided to exempt small wineries from certification service fees. Certification will remain mandatory, as ensuring quality and product safety for consumers is our main objective. We believe this approach will support the development of small wineries, further improve the quality of Georgian wine, and increase its competitiveness,” said Davit Songulashvili.

Certification is mandatory for alcoholic beverages produced in Georgia and intended for sale on the domestic market. A service fee for issuing certificates of conformity was introduced on 1 September, but this service will be provided free of charge to small wineries. Their certification obligations will remain in force, and they will still be required to complete the relevant procedures and obtain the necessary documentation for their products.

“Every decision we make concerning winemaking and viticulture serves a single purpose: to ensure that Georgian wine is of high quality, competitive, and increasingly well established in international markets,” said Davit Songulashvili.