Brussels, 10/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Guaranteeing quality to consumers and a fair price for farmers are the twin aims of the “Quality Package” adopted by the European Commission on Friday 10 December. This Quality Package for the first time sets up a comprehensive policy on certification schemes, value-adding terms for agricultural product qualities, and product standards. Until now these have been spread among numerous pieces of legislation.
The Quality Package comprises: - a proposal for a new Agricultural Product Quality Schemes Regulation, reinforcing the flagship scheme for protected designations of origin and geographical indications (PDOs and PGIs); - a proposal to streamline adoption of marketing standards of all agricultural products, including the power to extend place of farming labelling; - new guidelines on best practices for voluntary certification schemes; - new guidelines on the labelling of products which use PDOs or PGIs as ingredients.
PDO and PGI. The proposal maintains and reinforces the scheme for agricultural products and foodstuffs, but does not bring together the geographical indications schemes for wines, for spirits or for aromatised wines. The main points are: - recognition of the roles and responsibilities of groups applying for registration of names with regard to monitoring, promotion and communication; - reinforcement and clarification of the level of protection of registered names and common Union symbols; - shortening of the process for registering names; - clarification of the respective roles of member states and groups applying for registration, with regard to the enforcement of protection of the registered names throughout the EU; - closer alignment of definitions of designations of origin and geographical indications with international usage. The scope of the regulation remains unchanged (agricultural products for human consumption and certain other products), with the addition of dark chocolate.
TSG. The proposal maintains the scheme for reservation of names of traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG) across the European Union, but discontinues the option of registering names without reservation of usage. The new system is simplified and better targeted: the criterion for “traditional” becomes 50 years (rather than 25) to reinforce the credibility of the scheme; the scheme is restricted to prepared meals and processed products; and definitions and procedural requirements are substantially simplified to improve understanding of the scheme.
Optional quality terms. Optional terms ensuring proper use of certain qualitative descriptions (“free range” for chickens, or “first cold pressing” for olive oil, for example) will be brought under one single piece of legislation.
Marketing standards. With the proposal bringing in the possibility of extending labelling of place of production, there is provision for the introduction of a legal basis for compulsory labelling of place of farming for all sectors. This will allow the Commission to adopt delegated acts relating to possible compulsory labelling of place of farming at the appropriate geographical level (following a case-by-case analysis). One of the first sectors to be examined will be the dairy sector.
For the future, the Commission has announced its intention to study further the problems faced by small-scale producers in participating in EU quality schemes as well as by mountain producers to market their products. (L.C./transl.rt)