Quality policy

EU agricultural product quality policy

Quality is an issue for every farmer and buyer, whether dealing with commodities produced to basic standards or with the high-end quality products in which Europe excels. EU farmers must build on high quality reputation to sustain competitiveness and profitability.

EU law lays down stringent requirements guaranteeing the standards of all European products. In addition, EU quality schemes identify products and foodstuffs farmed and produced to exacting specifications.

Specific EU quality schemes - guaranteeing quality

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for
- agricultural farm products and foodstuffs
- wine and spirits

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) for
- agricultural farm products and foodstuffs

Organic farming

Outermost regions: Products specific to Azores, Canary Islands, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, La Réunion, Madeira, and Martinique

The DOOR database includes product names registered as PDO, PGI or TSG as well as names for which registration has been applied.

E-BACCHUS is the database on geographical indications protected in the European Community for wines originating in Member States and third countries.

EU schemes operate in the market alongside an increasing number of public and private certification schemes.

In addition, the European marketing standards encourage EU farmers to produce products of given quality, in conformity with the consumers' expectations. They allow a comparison of prices between various qualities of the same product. They also ensure minimum quality for the consumer and facilitate the operation of the internal market and the international trade.

They replace the various national standards and are regulated by the "single CMO".

Getting the most of EU agricultural product quality policy

Action is needed to improve communication about the qualities of agricultural products — to help reconnect farmers with consumers. Quality labelling schemes must also be easier for people to use and understand and EU policy must be more coherent. These are the main recommendations of a European Commission Communication on agricultural product quality policy, adopted on 28 May 2009.

Following these strategic orientations, the Commission presented legislative proposals and guidelines in December 2010.

Read more on the history of the EU quality policy and the 2008 consultation or have a look at the background documents.