The Association of European Regions for Products of Origin (AREPO) has welcomed approval of amendments it has proposed to EU regulations food-quality schemes.
“ We express deep satisfaction with the approval by the agriculture committee of the European Parliament of our proposed changes to the Quality Package presented by Commissioner Dacian Ciolos,” the association’s president Tiberio Rabboni said last week at the association’s general assembly.
“Such amendments concern, in particular, the possibility for rotected denomination of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indicator (PGI) consortia to manage production volumes in order to safeguard quality, the creation of the optional quality indication for mountain products and a more effective ex-officio protection.
“The period preceding the approval of the Quality Package -expected in late October - is a very delicate one and it is therefore essential to confirm and consolidate the text. To this end, AREPO is asking for a formal support by national governments and MEPs, in order to support the requests of the association, as well as the text as approved by the agricultural cCommittee of the European Parliament.
“At the same time it is necessary for the new Common Agricultural Policy to embrace the quality policy, therefore confirming a value choice of PDO and PGI, in accordance with the contents of the Quality Package.”
The association is calling for support for growers and farmers committed to production of protected and certified products, in the framework of additional direct payments for environmental commitments or within coupled aid proposed for products that have special local relevance. It also wants to see support for PGIs and PDOs from the European Union’s Rural Development Plan.
“As far as AREPO’s future objectives are concerned,” Rabboni said, “over the next months the activities of the association will focus on the intensification of its relationships with the European Parliament and with other European institutions, including the Committee of the Regions and the development of a strategy to increase AREPO’s representation in particular towards new member countries and candidate countries, as well as towards countries from northern Europe and the development of collaboration with other regional networks (such as AREFLH, the association of European fruits and vegetable producing regions.”
Rabboni also emphasised AREPO’s intention to expand its network and add new members.
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