Milling

Milling is a craft trade (Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act, Part A) covering the grinding of grain and the production of mill products such as flours, semolina or bran. To obtain it you must meet the general conditions under Sections 6 to 8 and prove a professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.

Examples of activities

• milling of wheat, rye and other cereals
• production of wheat and rye flour
• production of semolina, fine semolina and fortified (enriched) products
• production of dry semi-products and flour-based mixes
• production of pot barley, flakes, hulled millet and grist
• cleaning, sorting and storage of grain for milling
• operation of a mill and operation of milling technology
• production of feed mixes based on cereals and milling by-products (bran)

What the trade is and what it is for

Milling is a craft trade classified in Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.), in Part A. It entitles you to do business in the area of processing grain into mill products. This trade covers in particular the milling of cereals (wheat, rye, maize and others) and the production of products from them – flours, semolina, pot barley, flakes, hulled millet, grist or bran. It therefore serves anyone who wants to operate a mill, whether a classic stone mill or a modern automatic one, and to place mill products on the market.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Milling covers the whole process of processing grain into a mill product: intake, cleaning, sorting and storage of raw materials and the technological processing (by a mechanical-physical, batch or continuous method) of cereals into flour and other mill products – semolina, dehydrated fine semolina, fortified products, dry semi-products, flakes, pot barley or hulled millet – and their mixing. Within the trade, according to the content, feed mixes based on cereals, milling by-products and flour-based mixes may also be produced.

It is important to distinguish milling from neighbouring trades:

• Bakery, confectionery (a craft trade) is a separate trade – if you want to bake bread or pastries from the milled flour, you also need that authorisation.
• The production of pasta or other food products that are not mill products generally falls under the unqualified trade “Production of food and starch products”. By contrast, the production of feed mixes based on cereals and milling by-products is part of milling itself.
• Growing cereals is agricultural production, which the Trade Licensing Act does not regulate (it is recorded as an agricultural entrepreneur).

If you are unsure about the classification of a specific activity, verify it in advance with the Trade Licensing Office or in the catalogue of trades.

Statutory conditions for obtaining the trade

You must meet the general conditions under Sections 6 to 8 of the Trade Licensing Act, that is, full legal capacity and a clean criminal record, and at the same time no obstacles to carrying on a trade under Section 8 may exist (e.g. a court-imposed ban on activity). For a Czech citizen you do not submit an extract from the Criminal Records Register; the office verifies it itself.

As with every craft trade, a professional qualification is required, which is a special condition under Section 7. You prove it directly under Section 21 – by an apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving certificate, higher vocational or university education in the relevant field, or by the recognition of professional qualification or full professional qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

If you do not have education exactly in the field, you will use the substitute routes under Section 22: education in a related field (apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving certificate or higher vocational education) supplemented by one year of practice; university education in a related area does not require practice; retraining from an accredited facility with one year of practice is also recognised; or you submit 6 years of practice in the field without a document on education.

If you do not meet the qualification yourself, you may carry on the trade through a responsible representative under Section 11, who meets the conditions of Section 21 or Section 22 on your behalf. One person may be the responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs. The law does not require medical fitness or liability insurance.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Milling is a notifiable trade; the authorisation arises as early as the day of notification.

1. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF), by which you simultaneously handle registrations for tax, social and health insurance.
2. Submit it at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended powers), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, at a Czech POINT or via a data box.
3. Enclose the proof of professional qualification (Section 21 or Section 22), where applicable the documents for a responsible representative, and pay the administrative fee.
4. The office enters you in the Trade Register and issues an extract within 5 working days.

You will find the detailed procedure in the guide how to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Identity document (identity card).
• Proof of professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22 (apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving certificate, diploma, proof of practice or retraining).
• Where applicable, documents for a responsible representative (Section 11) and their declaration.
• Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 for the first notification of a trade, CZK 800 for electronic submission. When notifying several trades at once, it is paid only once.
• Deadline: registration within 5 working days of a flawless notification.

Frequently asked questions

What education do I need for milling?

An apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving certificate, higher vocational or university education in the relevant field is enough under Section 21. The recognition of professional qualification or full professional qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll. is also recognised.

Can I carry on milling on the basis of practice alone?

Yes. Under Section 22 the qualification may be proven by 6 years of practice in the field without a document on education, or by shorter practice in combination with education in a related field or retraining.

What if I do not meet the qualification at all?

You may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 who meets the professional qualification on your behalf and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. One person may hold this office for no more than four entrepreneurs.

Do I also need an authorisation for baking bread for milling?

No. Baking bread and pastries falls under the separate craft trade Bakery, confectionery, which you would have to notify separately.

When can I start doing business?

The authorisation arises on the day of notification, so you can do business before the extract from the Trade Register physically reaches you.

Sources

• Ministry of Education – database of regulated activities (milling)
• Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on Trade Licensing
• Ministry of Industry and Trade