Brussels, 09/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - COPA, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU, and COGECA, the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU, are concerned that the European Commission will use its enhanced legislative powers to “dismantle a significant number of marketing standards, as it has done in other sectors”. The agricultural organisations were reacting to the leaked proposals (see EUROPE 10234) on future EU quality policy for agricultural products.
COPA-COGECA are pleased that provisions on wine, spirits and aromatised wines will be kept separate from EU legislation on protected geographical indications (PGIs) which protects high quality regional specialities from imitation products. In addition, “big efforts have also been made by the Commission to reduce the administrative burden for registering products under EU legislation on PGIs,” acknowledges COPA-COGECA Secretary General Pekka Pesonen. He also welcomes that “the level of protection of the system has also been enhanced”. Furthermore, the role and responsibilities of producer groups in managing PGIs has been recognised for the first time. This, he says, is a step forward. He expresses too his satisfaction that the Commission has suggested defining “mountain farming” as an optional reserved term.
The Commission proposals also suggest “modernising and further rationalising marketing standards”. Olivier de Carne, chairman of the COPA-COGECA working party on quality, is concerned that the Commission will use its reinforced legislative powers to dismantle a significant number of marketing standards. “We are also extremely worried about Commission intentions to relax the definitions and conditions which products covered by EU legislation on protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGIs) have to meet. We want guarantees that these amendments will not call into question the whole system which has so far worked well,” de Carné stated. (L.C./transl.rt)