The amendment concerning Santa Claus' basket of children's toys has been submitted.

The amendment concerning Santa Claus' basket of children's toys has been tabled.

The amendment was submitted to the draft law of the Ministry of the Interior «Municipal Police, Public Market Authorities, Simplification of Procedures between Local Authorities and Decentralized Administrations, Regulations for the Normalization of the Electoral Process for Residents Abroad, and Other Regulations of the Ministry of the Interior.».

According to the provisions of the amendment, a price observatory is established for «Santa's basket.‘.

Companies specializing in the sale of children's toys to consumers, whose total annual turnover exceeds one million euros per year, based on the financial statements of the immediately preceding financial year, shall send to the Ministry of Development and Investment, at regular intervals, a list of consumer products for children's toys («Santa's basket‘) from December 14, 2022, to January 11, 2023.

Obligors shall include at least one product from each product category included in the «Santa's basket,‘ provided that they have products in that category and offer it at an affordable price, especially compared to other products in the same category, informing consumers who visit their physical or digital stores about the composition of the »basket« they recommend. This information is provided by any appropriate means, in particular through lists, leaflets, and, mandatorily, through special labeling on the products or at the point of sale.

Those responsible must place a clear special sign in the sales area (shelf) of the products participating in the «Santa's basket,‘ as well as a clear list of the products included in the »basket« in a prominent place at the entrance of the store, including the prices at which the products are offered. In addition, those responsible will ensure that the products included in the »basket« are available in sufficient quantities in their stores and are readily available to consumers. Any violation of this provision will result in a fine of €1,000 to €10,000.

The list of products included in the «Santa's basket‘ and their prices are freely determined by the companies. For the prices of the products that make up the »basket« proposed by each company, Article 58 of Law 4818/2021 (A» 124) on unfair profits, whereby the gross profit margin per product unit may not exceed the corresponding gross profit margin per product unit prior to December 1, 2021. The products in the list may be modified each time a new list is sent by the obligated parties to the Ministry of Development and Investment.

Other companies that are not included in the above list of obligated parties may also send a catalog of products included in «Santa's basket,‘ but any companies that send a catalog of products must comply with it.

Failure to submit a product list or submission of an incomplete product list by those required to do so is punishable by an administrative fine of €5,000 for each day of delay in submitting the list.

The Minister of Development and Investment shall determine the categories of products included in the «Santa Claus basket,‘ the frequency with which the list of products is sent by those responsible, the authorities responsible for imposing the penalties provided for herein, the inspection procedure, the procedure for collecting fines, and any other specific issue relating to the implementation of this law.

It should be noted that, as announced by the Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, Santa's basket includes the following 10 categories of toys: Baby toys, puzzles, action figures, construction toys, vehicles, electronic toys, remote-controlled toys, sports toys, board games, dolls, and stuffed animals.