PDO and PGI products : market, supply chains and institutions

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0197

Key words (English)

Pdo; pgi; market; supply chain; institutions; cheese; consumers; performance; registration; rural development; competive position; terroir

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: FAIR1-CT95-0306

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.3 Biomedical/Health research

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Bertil Sylvander, INRA-UREQUA, Le Mans (F), CRISALIDE, Beaucouzé (F), NAGREF, Agricultural Economics and social Institute, Kiffisia, Athens (GR), CRPA - SPA, Reggio Emilia (I), WAU, Dept of Marketing and Marketing Research, Wageningen (NL), Wye college - University of London, Dept of agricultural Economics (GB)

Abstract (English)

The project's overall objective is to assess the economic and institutional conditions necessary for the development of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographic Indications (PGI) in the European Community (EC) under EU Regulation 2081/92 and in Switzerland. Based on the analysis of 21 PDO or PGI products in five European countries (France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands United Kingdom) and of two Swiss products (Gruyère cheese and Apricot of Valais), it provides recommendations for the EC, the Swiss Government and involved institutions to guarantee the quality of products protected under the legislation and ensure the performance of their supply chains.
The research highlights several necessary criteria required to develop strong PDO and PGI products and to strengthen the PDO-PGI policy: a well defined and very specific product with unique characteristics, the market awareness of this uniqueness (good marketing), a good coordination among the actors, the involvement of public and private institutions. It shows that a lack of collective understanding and uniform interpretation of the legislation leads to widespread differences in the standards of product registration.
In Switzerland, most of the people and institutions interviewed agree on the long term objectives of the PDO-PGI policy (protection of Swiss geographic denominations, satisfaction of consumers expectation for quality products whose origin and production methods are well-known and guaranteed), and on the positive impacts it should have (manufacture of value added products in decentralised regions often experiencing a low economic output, contribution to the stability of rural populations, protection of heritage and tradition).

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0197