1 Vietnam study tour Geographical Indications: Control, Certification and Accreditation Swiss experiences Peter Damary, AGRIDEA 28 th october 2009, Tbilisi

2 Vietnam study tour Foreword on the situation in the EU and Switzerland 2.Controls and certification : Key procedures 3.Accreditation 4.Checking the distribution

3 Vietnam study tour Foreword on the situation in Switzerland

4 Vietnam study tour What are GI, PDO, PGI ? GI: Geographical Indication o GI is the name of region which is used to designate a product o The product is special because it comes from a specific place o A GI is related to know-how and tradition o A system of guaranty of the product’s characteristics o A GI is not created, it is recognized. It applies to an already existing production

5 Vietnam study tour How does GI work ? Imply a voluntary participation Enable stakeholders involved in the food chain to claim that their product or processes fulfil defined quality requirements (defined in the Code of practice) Stakeholders are farmers, producers traders, food processors, retailers, certification bodies and public authorities GI is a public scheme based on national and/or European legislation

6 Vietnam study tour Triangle of GI and keys words Supply chain Institutional / legal framework Market / Consumer Product Impact s Institutional framework Legal protection Product, Specificity, Terroir Typicity Code of practice Delimited geographical area Producers, Processors Supply chain organisation (interprofession) Consumers, Retailers Free-riders Usurpation Consumer trust

7 Vietnam study tour Why « bother with » control and certification ? PROMISSE to the Consumer : To protect the consumer buying the « promisse » of the link to the terroir ! COMMON REPUTATION - i.e common quality assure that all the producers / processors play by the same rules (no free ridding) HIGH REPUTATION – General protection of the name by the state – avoid usurpation ! I.E. Certification is essential for the protection of Gis and therefore the possibilitiy to use a GI as a economic developpement tool !

8 Vietnam study tour Controls and Certification : Key procedures

9 Vietnam study tour Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders STATE LEVEL PRIVATE LEVEL ACCREDITATION BOARD STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE Min Economy Min Agriculture INTERPROFESSION AL BODY CERTIFICATION BODY EN 45’011

10 Vietnam study tour Controls and certification Certification Procedure through which a third party gives a written undertaking that a product, process or service complies with specified requirements For GIs o Certification of products the certification body certifies that the product conforms to the Code of practice.

11 Vietnam study tour The two check phases CERTIFICATION BODY Checking the production supply chain ! CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities) Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)

12 Vietnam study tour Two steps lead to the certification decision o The GI product registration (at the national and /or European level) o The certification decision itself

13 Vietnam study tour PRODUCERS CONSORTIA MIN. AGRI NAT. COM. for GI OFFICE FOR INTELECTUAL PROPERTY ELABORATE INSPECTION REPORTS ON THE FIELD TESTING REPORTS CONTROL HANDBOOK CONSULTATION OPPOSITION PROCEDURES REGISTRATION Transmission Official publication Modifications if needed INITIAL APPROVAL RESULTS EXAMINATION (one by one) Compilation Handbook adoptionInspectors’ affectation Examines the elaborate Inspectors training Launching of the inspection, testing & analysis campaign Results + - Conformity recovery Transmission to the certification body 1 st CERTIFICATION DECISION These 2 steps are clearly different but they are often done simultaneously, in order for the producers consortia to be ready when the elaborate is eventually officially recognised. MEETING BETWEEN CERTIFICATION BODY & PRODUCERS CONSORTIA

14 Vietnam study tour What does “certify” mean when dealing with GI products? the initial approval : – Evaluation of the conditions of production o Evaluation of the quality system (respect of hygiene measures, HACCP concept and traceability system) Then, regular checking the accordance of the product and processes with the code of practices o Checking on the basis of the control handbook with different possible points of non conformity

15 Vietnam study tour The certification of a product is based on the control of three main components: the processes, the traceability, the final product.

16 Vietnam study tour Traceability Control The certification body is responsible for the distribution and use of traceability benchmarks. (Generally, the producers consortia manages these aspects.) Traceability benchmarks are useful tolls to follow the product at the different steps of its elaboration. The producers consortia distributes the traceability benchmarks to every enterprises respecting the code of practices (even outside the consortia).

17 Vietnam study tour Some traçability marks Product must be easily identified by the consumer Protected geographical indication Specific label Printed markSolid markNumbered sticker

18 Vietnam study tour Final test of the product For the final product test are organized by the producers consortia. Sampling tests and chemical analysis Organileptic : Tastings to check for conformity.

19 Vietnam study tour Control frequencies are the same for every GI Every two years: o Control of the structural and traceability conditions in the Processing enterprises o Regular controls of the farms with a selection of samples At least once a year: o A final product test (organoleptic examination + chemical analysis) in the firms which are directly commercializing the final product.

20 Vietnam study tour Accreditation

21 Vietnam study tour Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders STATE LEVEL PRIVATE LEVEL ACCREDITATION BOARD STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE Min Economy Min Agriculture INTERPROFESSION AL BODY CERTIFICATION BODY EN 45’011

22 Vietnam study tour A certification body must be accredited The certification must be accredited under the EN 45’011. It defines minimum standards for the product certification. The certification body must be accredited for the certification and control of this specific product. For a similar product, control procedures can be very different from one certification body to another

23 Vietnam study tour Accreditation mechanisms National Accreditation Board accredited in accordance with ISO 17’011 European Accreditation Board ( accreditation.org) Accreditation deals with two aspects: o The management, directly controlled by the Certification Board. o The technical aspects, for which skilled experts

24 Vietnam study tour The role of the Accreditation Board An Accreditation Board examines and accredits conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies) according to international standards. The Accreditation Board is an important device to create a transparent and qualified infrastructure for conformity assessment bodies in all branches. By the existent international structures, it establishes the background for the international acceptance of reports and certificates.

25 Vietnam study tour Checking the distribution

26 Vietnam study tour The two check phases CERTIFICATION BODY Checking the production supply chain ! CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities) Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)

27 Vietnam study tour The checking of the distribution Problems can be encountered : That cannot be disclosed at the producing unit That happen during distribution That happen to foreign goods Role of the state authorities (Cantonal laboratories)

28 Vietnam study tour The checking of the distribution Protected products cannot be imitated Illegal use or imitation of a protected denomination Illegal use of a specific container Illegal use of the specific appearance of the product

29 Vietnam study tour Thank you for your attention For more information : Training course InterGI (april 2010) peter.damary at. agridea.ch agridea.ch / international / activities on GIs