The European Parliament has approved in plenary session a new regulation which will enable farmers and other groups to protect the authenticity and origin of their products more effectively and to ensure the correct use of protected names. The new rules will also reduce by half the time to obtain an EU quality label.

The new rules on food quality labels agreed in June by the European Parliamen Agriculture Committee and the Council has been approved with 528 favourables votes from MEPs, 57 votes against and 33 abstentions. The text of the new regulation will mean a better protection for registered products as it will allow any producer group to take action to protect its proprietary names and to promote the authenticity and reputation of their products.

For the time being producers will not be able to control the volume of products manufactured under the protected name which are placed on the market, as requested by EP Agriculture committee. However, discussions regarding the adjustment of supply and demand for protected products will remain open as part of the debate for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

The revised text also includes a new definition for the so-called traditional products, which become officially recognized in Europe under these new rules. Producers applying for the label of traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) will need to demonstrate the use of traditional processing methods on a domestic market for a period of 30 years against the 25-year period previously required.

The new legislation also introduces a new label for products produced by mountain producers in order to allow them to promote more effectively the added-value of their products. Within one year from the entry into force of the new regulation, the Commission shall submit a report on the possibility to introduce new labels for the protection of island produce as well as a new scheme for local farming and direct sales.