WRITTEN QUESTION P-2697/96 by Eva Kjer Hansen (ELDR) to the Commission (9 October 1996)

Subject: Publicity campaign for the European system for the promotion and protection of foodstuffs of a specific character

The Commission has set up the abovementioned information campaign to run for three years and cover Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs), Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) and Guaranteed Traditional Specialities (GTSs). A budget of 8.8 m ECU has been earmarked for the purpose. The campaign has been set up on the basis of Commission Regulation 2037/93 ((OJ L 185, 28.7.1993, p. 5. )), Article 5.

However, during the political negotiations preceding the adoption of Council Regulation 2081/92 ((OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1. )) on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, six countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Luxembourg, which constituted a blocking minority in the Council, made it a condition that any form of special financial support related to these products was unacceptable. The article relating to support was therefore deleted from the proposal for a regulation.

During the political negotiations preceding the adoption of Council Regulation 2081/92 there was vigorous resistance to the granting of special financial support to producers, producer associations etc. producing, controlling or marketing products protected under the Council Regulation.

Does the Commission consider it to be consistent with the Council's decision for it now to be approving the use of Community funds for an information campaign seeking precisely to help producers to make their products better known?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (28 October 1996)

The Honourable Member rightly refers to Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2037/93 which states that 'the Commission shall take the necessary steps to inform the public of the meaning of the indications 'PDO', 'PGI', 'protected designation of origin' and 'protected geographical indication' in the Community languages. Such steps shall not take the form of aid to producers and/or processors'. A similar Article features in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1848/93 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/92 on certificates of special character for agricultural products and foodstuffs, ((OJ L 168, 10.7.1993. )) the aim being to 'inform the public of the meaning of the indication and the Community symbol' in the context of certificates of special character. The Commission has therefore adhered to the decisions of the Council which did indeed delete an Article from the proposal designed to grant producer groups financial support.

The publicity campaign that has been set up serves only to explain to the public (suppliers and consumers as well as producers) the complex concepts and procedures established at Community level. Since use of the Community systems is voluntary rather than mandatory, the Community rules must be well understood in order to achieve full effect. The producer has to know how to take advantage of the Community rules and the supplier and the consumer must understand the meaning of the indications and the logo that they will see on product labels.