PRACTICAL HANDBOOK ON EU PROTECTION OF ORIGIN

By project SMEOrigin

Published on 09 November 2023

Austria

Steiermark

About this good practice

The practice outlines the application process, actors involved, supporting documents, evidence required, and procedures for obtaining and maintaining PDO, PGI, and TSG designations. It also covers labeling, control, funding opportunities, and legal protection options for these products.

The EU quality seals "Protected Designation of Origin", "Protected Geographical Indication" and "Traditional Specialty Guaranteed" give consumers the opportunity to consciously choose high-quality and unique products when buying food.

The Service Association for Protected Designations of Origin for Food was established in 2016 to support traditional foods in Austria, to propose further products for EU protection and to develop these special foods together with the producers. This practical handbook is a guide to the successful implementation of EU designation of origin protection.

The application process, the actors, the required documents and three different seals are described. In total, products can be protected by three different seals. The most restrictive and valuable designation of origin is the one with the PDO, which is aimed entirely at protecting regionality. The protected geographical indication with the PGI is essentially about preserving authenticity and is not quite as restrictive as the protected designation of origin. The third seal bears the abbreviation TSG, which aims to protect the traditional method of production without restricting the production area.

Resources needed

The specific resources are the staff of the association. It requires administrative effort and the co-operation of producers, public authorities and interest groups. In addition a origin product also has access to special subsidies. An active farmer can claim an inspection subsidy (ELER).

Evidence of success

The first Austrian products were registered with the Styrian pumpkin seed oil PGI, Gailtaler Almkäse PDO, Tiroler Graukäse PDO, Marchfeld asparagus PGI and Wachau apricot PGI protected since 1996. A total of 18 products are currently registered for Austria . Examples of protected origin products from Austria:
("Steirische Käferbohnen" PDO, "Tiroler Speck" PGI, "Marchfeldspargel" PGI, "Schaf-Heumilch" TSG)

Potential for learning or transfer

This practice offers a model for protecting traditional and regionally specific food products within the European Union and potentially in other countries. It provides valuable insights into the application process, legal basis, and practical steps for ensuring the quality and origin of food products. The application is an extensive process with various options. Depending on the type of protection, various criteria must be met, which are explained in detail in the book. The practical handbook serves as a guide through the labyrinth of requirements and application procedures. The guide is clearly structured, informative and practice-orientated. It goes through the entire process, starting with the application and ending with the defence of rights in the event of misuse and imitation. It also points out alternatives to EU origin protection and gives an insight into the control procedure and explains the legal options.