Today’s BOE collects a decree law that enters into force tomorrow, March 31, and that, among many other measures, approves the discount of 20 cents per liter of fuel, raises the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) and approves dozens of aids for companies. But, in addition, in the midst of all these measures, it allows stores and supermarkets to limit how many products each buyer can take. It does so in a context of scarcity of some products due to transportation problems and lack of supplies.
Until now, the retail law It established that merchants could not limit the amount of products that each consumer can take. And that, if there are not enough stocks, they should be sold to whoever arrives first.
Despite this, on numerous occasions we have seen in stores and supermarkets limits to the quantities that can be purchased. In fact, we are seeing it these days with products like sunflower oil.
What the norm does today is to give free rein to this already widespread practice, including a point in that article that allows that, exceptionally and “when there are extraordinary circumstances of force majeure”, they may limit the number of items per person. Of course, this measure must be justified (although it does not clarify before whom or how) and only “when it is necessary to avoid shortages” and guarantee access to products in an equitable manner.
In parallel, the decree law allows companies that have to replace scarce ingredients with similar ones to comply with the labeling regulations with stickers or QR codes that replace the current labels of their products.
Information published in CIVIO’s ‘Our daily BOE’
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