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T. Becker, A. Staus (2008) ‘’European food quality policy: the importance of geographical indications, organic certification and food quality insurance schemes in
European countries’‘

Paper,
12th EAAE Congress ‘People, Food and Environments: Global Trends and European Strategies’, Gent (Belgium), 26–29 August 2008

Document:
Becker_et_al.pdf

Abstract
The protection of geographical indications, organic certification and food quality assurance schemes are the cornerstones of European food quality policy. In this paper the importance of these voluntary quality policy schemes in the different Member States of the
European Union is investigated. Member States may be grouped into four cluster according to the food quality orientation.

Keywords: food quality policy, organic certification, quality assurance schemes, PDO, PGI, TSG

Relevance to our study:
In this study the details of the EU quality policy are described and the state of art of Eu Reg 2081/92, EU Reg 2082/92 and EU Reg 2092/91 is done. For a complete picture of the quality policies in the different Member States, also number of quality assurance systems is analysed. An effort is undertaken too to present a broader view by additionally examining the care of quality assurance systems as one cornerstone of EU food quality policy. The number of quality assurance schemes in the EU Member States differs between.
countries. It is very interesting to note that in some of the countries with a low number of products registered as either as PDO or PGI, the number of quality assurance schemes is rather high. This holds true not only for Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and Ireland, but for the Be Ne Lux? countries as well, in particular for Belgium.
The interesting part of that study is also the division of the member states in Homogeneous groups using European food quality policies.
The Member States of the EU have gone different ways, due to historical reasons and due to differing consumer behaviour. We can distinguish three distinct clusters of different practices of the EU member states using the European food quality policies. Greece, Italy and Portugal are orientated on PDO/PGI and organic farming. A second cluster consists of the Scandinavian countries and Germany which are more orientated on the food quality assurance system and a bit on organic farming. The third cluster consists of Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and the UK which are more PDO/PGI orientated. While Austria is highly orientated on organic farming and FQAS, Luxemburg prefers PDO/PGI and FQAS.

Relevancy on a scale from 1 to 5 = 5

Review status: Finished
Review started on 2009–01–21
Reviewed by Samanta Rosi Bellière?

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