Effective on January 1, products shall be marketed with two prices: the total price (item price) and the price per unit (unit price), for example, per kilogram or liter, under a regulation adopted by the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. The regulation says that both prices on the tag should be the same size and be exclusively in national currency. In eating places, the prices should be shown in menus or price lists. In the case of products marketed in show windows, the prices should be clearly shown so that the consumers wouldn't need to enter the establishment to see them. Economy Minister Valeriu Lazar explained that some shops display prices in conventional units, meaning euros or dollars, and in many cases do not show the unit prices on packaged products, which can cause conflicts. “The practice in the EU, where the protection of consumers rights is of great importance, shows that the observance of these apparently simple rules is essential for a civilized commerce”, said the minister. The rule doesn't apply to items put up for auction, antique and pieces of art, and products sold at mobile shops. The regulation will take effect on January 1, 2011 for all commercial entities and restaurants except for those which don't exceed 50 square meters in area; these will have to abide by the rule starting from 1 January 2013.