The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) took part in a high level debate earlier this month at the Conference on the Future of the Quality Policy of Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs under the auspices of the Czech presidency of the EU.

Petr Gandalovi, the Czech minister of agriculture and Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development, presided over the Prague event.

Nigel Jenney represented the FPC at the conference and joined UK ministerial delegates as part of discussions on the EU green paper on agricultural product quality.

Jenney said: “There was considerable interest in labelling and certification schemes, as well as the new EU marketing standards. Some of the key points raised were that producers within the EU do not always receive full recognition and wider benefits for the added value of production. Also the possible benefit of the introduction of a new obligatory EU logo indicating compliance with EU farming standards seems to be very small. There was a feeling that it would be preferable to maintain the current system of specifying product identities in marketing standards in the EU legislation as a guarantee of a certain level of stable environment for producers, retailers and consumers; however, further possible simplification was welcomed.”

Self regulation in the field of marketing standards was also discussed, although not supported, as delegates felt it would not fully guarantee the necessary level of implementation and control of adherence to marketing standards.

The two-day event welcomed more than 300 delegates and the conference’s conclusions with the results of Green Paper public consultation will be used by the European Commission for the preparation and issue of a statement on the quality policy scheduled for May 2009. The statement could then result in draft amendments of legislation by the European Commission.

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