Geographical Indications: Control, Certification and Accreditation Swiss experiences

1. Geographical Indications: Control, Certification and AccreditationSwiss experiences Peter Damary, AGRIDEA 28th october 2009, Tbilisi

2. Foreword on the situation in the EU and Switzerland • Controls and certification : Key procedures • Accreditation • Checking the distribution

3. Foreword on the situation in Switzerland

4. What are GI, PDO, PGI ? • GI: Geographical Indication • GI is the name of region which is used to designate a product • The product is special because it comes from a specific place • A GI is related to know-how and tradition • A system of guaranty of the product’s characteristics • A GI is not created, it is recognized. It applies to an already existing production

5. How does GI work ? • Imply a voluntary participation • Enable stakeholders involved in the food chain to claim that their product or processes fulfil defined quality requirements (defined in the Code of practice) • Stakeholders are farmers, producers traders, food processors, retailers, certification bodies and public authorities • GI is a public scheme based on national and/or European legislation

6. Triangle of GI and keys words Impacts Producers, Processors Supply chain organisation (interprofession) Consumers, Retailers Free-riders Supply chain Product, Specificity, Terroir Typicity Code of practice Delimited geographical area Product Institutional / legal framework Market / Consumer Institutional framework Legal protection Usurpation Consumer trust

7. Why « bother with » control and certification ? • PROMISSE to the Consumer : To protect the consumer buying the « promisse » of the link to the terroir ! • COMMON REPUTATION - i.e common quality assure that all the producers / processors play by the same rules (no free ridding) • HIGH REPUTATION – General protection of the name by the state – avoid usurpation ! • I.E. Certification is essential for the protection of Gis and therefore the possibilitiy to use a GI as a economic developpement tool !

8. 2. Controls and Certification : Key procedures

9. Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE Min Economy Min Agriculture ACCREDITATION BOARD STATE LEVEL CERTIFICATION BODY EN 45’011 INTERPROFESSIONAL BODY PRIVATE LEVEL

10. Controls and certification • Certification Procedure through which a third party gives a written undertaking that a product, process or service complies with specified requirements • For GIs • Certification of products the certification body certifies that the product conforms to the Code of practice.

11. The two check phases • CERTIFICATION BODY • Checking the production supply chain ! • CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities) • Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)

12. Two steps lead to the certification decision • The GI product registration (at the national and /or European level) • The certification decision itself

13. PRODUCERS CONSORTIA MEETING BETWEEN CERTIFICATION BODY & PRODUCERS CONSORTIA CONTROL HANDBOOK Compilation Modifications if needed INSPECTION REPORTS ON THE FIELD TESTING REPORTS ELABORATE Handbook adoption Inspectors’ affectation Transmission OFFICE FOR INTELECTUAL PROPERTY MIN. AGRI NAT. COM. for GI Launching of the inspection, testing & analysis campaign Inspectors training Examines the elaborate RESULTS EXAMINATION (one by one) Conformity recovery CONSULTATION OPPOSITION PROCEDURES Results + - Official publication Transmission to the certification body REGISTRATION INITIAL APPROVAL 1st CERTIFICATION DECISION These 2 steps are clearly different but they are often done simultaneously, in order for the producers consortia to be ready when the elaborate is eventually officially recognised.

14. What does “certify” mean when dealing with GI products? • the initial approval : • Evaluation of the conditions of production • Evaluation of the quality system (respect of hygiene measures, HACCP concept and traceability system) • Then, regular checking the accordance of the product and processes with the code of practices • Checking on the basis of the control handbook with different possible points of non conformity

15. The certification of a product is based on the control of three main components: • the processes, • the traceability, • the final product.

16. Traceability Control • The certification body is responsible for the distribution and use of traceability benchmarks. (Generally, the producers consortia manages these aspects.) • Traceability benchmarks are useful tolls to follow the product at the different steps of its elaboration. • The producers consortia distributes the traceability benchmarks to every enterprises respecting the code of practices (even outside the consortia).

17. Some traçability marks • Product must be easily identified by the consumer • Protected geographical indication • Specific label Printed mark Solid mark Numbered sticker

18. Final test of the product • For the final product test are organized by the producers consortia. • Sampling tests and chemical analysis • Organileptic : Tastings to check for conformity.

19. Control frequencies are the same for every GI • Every two years: • Control of the structural and traceability conditions in the Processing enterprises • Regular controls of the farms with a selection of samples • At least once a year: • A final product test (organoleptic examination + chemical analysis) in the firms which are directly commercializing the final product.

20. Accreditation

21. Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE Min Economy Min Agriculture ACCREDITATION BOARD STATE LEVEL CERTIFICATION BODY EN 45’011 INTERPROFESSIONAL BODY PRIVATE LEVEL

22. A certification body must be accredited • The certification must be accredited under the EN 45’011. It defines minimum standards for the product certification. • The certification body must be accredited for the certification and control of this specific product. For a similar product, control procedures can be very different from one certification body to another

23. Accreditation mechanisms • National Accreditation Board accredited in accordance with ISO 17’011 European Accreditation Board (www.european-accreditation.org) • Accreditation deals with two aspects: • The management, directly controlled by the Certification Board. • The technical aspects, for which skilled experts

24. The role of the Accreditation Board • An Accreditation Board examines and accredits conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies) according to international standards. • The Accreditation Board is an important device to create a transparent and qualified infrastructure for conformity assessment bodies in all branches. • By the existent international structures, it establishes the background for the international acceptance of reports and certificates.

25. 4. Checking the distribution

26. The two check phases • CERTIFICATION BODY • Checking the production supply chain ! • CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities) • Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)

27. The checking of the distribution • Problems can be encountered : • That cannot be disclosed at the producing unit • That happen during distribution • That happen to foreign goods Role of the state authorities (Cantonal laboratories)

28. The checking of the distribution • Protected products cannot be imitated • Illegal use or imitation of a protected denomination • Illegal use of a specific container • Illegal use of the specific appearance of the product

29. Thank you for your attentionFor more information : Training course InterGI (april 2010) peter.damary at. agridea.chagridea.ch / international / activities on GIs