The Ministry of Agriculture of Romania has announced they are working on the implementation of the European legislation on the use of optional quality term “mountain product”. Euromontana had an important contribution in the elaboration of the above mentioned European legislation and is currently following its implementation in different European countries.
The deadline for the implementation has been established for May 2016 in Romania. Several organisations have been mobilised for the fulfilment of the task: the Mountain Area Agency, the National Consumers Protection Authority, the Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, etc.
The minister for Agriculture Achim Irimescu said he wants to map the products that could benefit from protection at European level. As the measure is meant to raise the added value of mountain products and to protect small producers in the mountain areas, products caring the new quality term could be sold up to 20% more and thus provide more incomes for farmers. For differentiating the mountain products from the others, it is planned to create a distinctive logo, in a similar way as it has been done in Switzerland. The Romanian authorities are currently in contact with the European Commission to see whether it is allowed for Member States to associate a national logo to the optional qualitative term.
Regarding the derogation of the 30km, it is currently being discussed not to allow any derogation regarding the processing of dairy products (i.e. to reduce the distance to 0km). For more information on this subject – in Romanian language only- click here
15 February 2016
