1. Food Quality Labels: the situation today in Europe Assembly of European Regions, Kriti 15 September 2006 Nikiforos SIVENAS European Commission

2. 2 Overview  Registration of PDO/PGI/TSG  The WTO panel and new regulatory framework  Rural development measures  Future policy review  Work on quality certification schemes

3. 3 EU policy on quality labels  Wine: labelling measures to protect designations & production methods – 1970’s  For agricultural products, 1992 regulation: –‘designation of origin’ –‘geographical indication’ –harmonisation of protection across EU single market

4. 4 MS registrations PDO/PGI

5. 5 PDO/PGI registrations by class of product

6. 6 New applications received by the Commission (PDO/PGI/STG)

7. 7 WTO Panel  Complaint brought by United States and Australia in 2003  40 aspects of the EU Regulation on GI attacked  Integrity of EU system upheld  Direct access to applicants from Third countries

8. 8 New regulation on PDO/PGI – Regulation (EC) No 510/2006  Conformity with WTO ruling  Clarification on competences between Member States / Commission  National procedure of objection  Formal national decision prior to submission to EU

9. 9 Future Policy Review (1)  Issues raised by the Council : 1.‘PDO’ & ‘PGI’ as ingredients 2.Alternative instruments 3.Scope of protection 4.Origin of raw materials 5.Criteria for generic status

10. 10 Future Policy Review (2) 6.Design of European symbols/logos

11. 11 Future Policy Review (3)  Other issues brought up by stakeholders  Agency for registration of PDO/PGI  Traditional Specialities Guaranteed –Scope –Representative body

12. 12 Rural development

13. 13 Rural development support for food quality schemes  Direct support to farmers (up to 3000 €)  Support to producer groups for information, promotion and advertising activities (70%)  National food quality schemes  Community schemes: PDO, PGI, TSG, Organic farming, Quality wine

14. 14 Controls essential Financial Times 8.9.2006

15. 15 Certification schemes (1)  Schemes cover wide range of quality attributes –Processing techniques –Ingredients –Origin of raw materials –Animal welfare –Environment standards –Labour standards

16. 16 Certification schemes (2)  Pilot study on food quality assurance and certification schemes  Stakeholder hearing 11-12.5.06 identified problems: –Excessive certification cost & private bureaucracy –Reliability of claims and consumer confusion –Differences in national legislation –Schemes as a way of procurement management –Internal market distortions

17. 17 Presentation of « Comté » Medium-range mountains Natural conditions = difficult to produce anything but beef and milk Old tradition of cheese- making

18. 18 Comté cheese big rounds 63 cm in diameter and weighing~ 42 kilos First French PDO cheese (50 000 tons) Traditionally made in small village cheese dairies, known as the "fruitières".

19. 19 Competition with Emmental  Production of Comté in small units  Emmental produced at industrial scale in this region = Opposite strategies

20. 20 Production (tonnes) Emmental and Comté

21. 21 Milk price (€/tonne) paid to producers Emmental and Comté

22. 22 Prices of Comté/Emmental (consumer, € / kg)

23. 23 Employment (per 1.000.000 litres of milk) ComtéEmmental TotalMilk collection and first processing Maturation and marketing Packaging Administrative

24. 24 Elements for success  Good product  Dedicated producers  Organisation  Controls  Integrated approach to production, processing, distribution, advertising and marketing

25. 25 Conclusion Quality policy increasing in importance for the European Commission –Debate on future policy review on PGI/PDO –Conference on food quality certification schemes, 5-6 February 2007. Welcome input from stakeholders

26. Food Quality Labels: the situation today in Europe Assembly of European Regions, Kriti 15 September 2006 Nikiforos SIVENAS European Commission