Law No. 75 of April 21, 2026 (finally approved on April 15 and published in the Official Journal No. 110 of May 14, 2026) represents a structural turning point for the national agri-food sector. Overcoming decades of regulatory fragmentation, the legislator has introduced a comprehensive reform that elevates the authenticity and quality of products to an independent legal asset, defining "agri-food heritage" as a strategic national asset to be protected with innovative criminal, administrative, and procedural tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. The penal revolution: the new Chapter II-bis of the Penal Code<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The core of the reform lies in the addition of Title VIII of Book II of the Criminal Code, which now includes specific protection for agri-food heritage. The new provisions aim to target not only traditional counterfeiting, but the entire economic cycle of irregular products:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The fight against organized crime: agropiracy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To address systemic fraud, Article 517-octies of the Criminal Code introduces the aggravating circumstance of agro-piracy. This occurs when the illegal conduct is carried out through the deployment of organized means and activities. At the same time, the reform addresses corporate liability (Legislative Decree 231\/2001): the administrative liability of legal entities is triggered precisely in the case of aggravated forms of agro-piracy, requiring companies in the supply chain to adopt dynamic organizational models to monitor traceability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the event of repeat or particularly serious offenses, the judge can impose drastic additional sanctions, such as temporary closure of the plant (from 5 days to 3 months, or up to a year in the most serious cases) or even permanent closure, a measure aimed at excluding from the market businesses consistently involved in food crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Innovations in the administrative system: official blockade and sanctions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the administrative side, the law introduces new deterrent criteria and flexibility tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Perishable goods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The reform also affects the Code of Criminal Procedure to prevent the loss of evidence in the perishable goods sector:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the law has a social aspect: seized or confiscated products, if fit for human or animal consumption, are not destroyed but can be donated to charitable organizations, subject to the removal of counterfeit brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2026 reform is not a simple update of penalties, but a paradigm shift that asks companies to be more compliance<\/em> and responsibility in supply chain management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Content by the Lawyer. Giorgio Rusconi <\/a>and of the lawyer. Laura Carrara<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
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