In 2023, the State Duma of the Russian Federation updated the law governing organic products, imposing a ban on the use of chemical additives in their production. In July, the law underwent three readings and was approved. The media described that products meeting these standards could be labeled as “green,” “eco,” or “bio.”
Producers must prove the environmental friendliness of their goods to use these labels. An exception exists for items that already bear a green designation.
The approach aims to reduce consumer confusion over terms used on packaging, since meanings of these words had varied in the past.
However, a letter from X5 Group to the State Duma Committee on Agricultural Issues notes that over 100 trademarks incorporating the word “green” were already registered in Russia. In particular, the Pyaterochka and Perekrestok chains alone account for more than 2,000 products with trademarks containing that word. Verifying organic origins is especially challenging for products like wine or spirits within this framework.
Against this background, retailers voiced the view that businesses should retain the ability to distinguish their products through trademark registration. They argued that regulating organic products should not infringe civil rights. Accordingly, X5 proposed an exception for so‑called “green brands.”
AKORT cautioned that proposals to restrict usage of the term and equate it with “organic” could hinder the use of many registered trademarks and signs.
Historically, Rospatent registered the trademark “Sadno i dot” for a funeral home operating under Ritual.ru. This illustrates the complexity of branding alongside regulatory definitions in the sector.