Mountain products
Specific products
Mountain products, understood as products the raw material of which is produced in mountain areas and, in the case of processed products, which processing occurs in mountain areas, cover a wide diversity of products: dairy products, meat products, fruits, olive oil, pastry, mineral waters, medicinal plants...
Mountain products have specific characteristics due to the environment in which they are produced, to the quality of natural resources used and to traditional techniques and know-how employed in their production and processing. These production conditions create specific quality in terms of taste, aromas, colour, texture, etc.
A market potential to exploit
Mountains convey an image of purity and of tradition. Mountain products are perceived by consumers as environmentally friendly products which support the local economy and culture and contribute to the maintenance of landscapes that are dear to them. This strong common identity constitutes a market potential which still largely remains to be exploited by mountain agro-food supply chains actors. 86% of consumers questioned in the framework of the EuroMARC project declared themselves favourable to a specific labelling of mountain products.
On september 13th 2012, rewarding 12 years of Euromontana commitment on this issue, the European Parliament has officially approved a new regulation reserving the use of the term "mountain product" to food products produced and processed in mountain areas.
Our actions
Policy: the European Charter for mountain quality food products
Euromontana uses its research and cooperation work to promote a European approach of protection, promotion and development of mountain quality food products.
To this end, Euromontana builds on the European Charter for Mountain quality food products, that was launched in 2005 at the European Parliament and which defines principles to respect in order to achieve a development of mountain products which contributes to sustainable territorial development.
- What is the European Charter for mountain quality food products ?
To achieve the objectives of the Charter, Euromontana contributes to the debate on European, national and regional policies which are likely to have an impact, especially the quality policy for agro-food products which defines official quality schemes and associated labels and the rural development policy which offers measures dedicated to the development of quality supply chains.
Quality policy for agro-food products
Euromontana is an observer member in the advisory group on quality of agro-food products of the Directorate General for agriculture and rural development of the European Commission. This group meets 2 to 4 times a year to give an opinion on legislative proposals of the European Commission.
The debate since 2008 has been dominated by the reform of the policy for quality of agro-food products which resulted on the 10th of December in the adoption by the European Commission of legislative proposals known as the "quality package ".
This legislative package is the result of a long consultation which started with the publication of a green paper on the quality of agro-food products, to which Euromontana replied on the 12th December 2008.
Following repeated demands from Euromontana and other actors in the field for a European scheme for protection of mountain products, and in the absence of opposition to this proposal in all consultative bodies, DG AGRI of the European Commission has announced that it will study the feasibility of an optional reserved term for mountain products and then drafted proposals for such a term. The proposal was unfortunately withdrawn at the last minute based on the argument that the impact assessment still had to be completed.
- see the press release published following the decision of the Commission to postpone the proposal for a mountain term
Since this worrying postponement, Euromontana has been actively encouraging representatives of European citizens at the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee, together with the representatives of governments at the Council to request the introduction, without delay, of concrete proposals for mountain products in the quality package.
We have been heard as both the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament have included in their respective reports (Opinion of the Committee of the Regions by René Souchon and Report by Iratxe Garcia Perez for the European Parliament) the request for an optional quality term for mountain products. Work has continued through 2011, allowing the adoption on June 20th 2012 of a political compromise between the Council, the Parliament and the Commission on a new regulation protecting the use of an optional quality term "mountain product".
The new regulation has officially been voted by the European Parliament on September 13th, 2012. Adoption by the Council is expecting by the end of 2012. This major step forward rewards 12 years of Euromonatna work on this issue. the network is already discussing what actions should be conducted to ensure we rip full benefit of this new opportunity.
- read the compromise text
Rural development policy
Euromontana also promotes a targeted approach to the needs of mountain agro-food supply chains in its position on the CAP.
- See the page agriculture and rural development
In particular, we advocate for mountain food supply chains to gain access to rural development quality measures.
Projects
Euromontana's actions on mountain quality products are built on scientific bases resulting from two European research projects:
- Mountain quality products - Strategic information for the development of quality food products in European mountains - 2002-2004 – 5th Framework programme on research and development
- EuroMARC - Mountain agro-food products: their consumers, distribution and local initiatives, 2007-2010 - 6th Framework programme on research and development.
In the framework of the new regulatory developments, Euromontana is engaged wth ISARA and UHI in a major study conducted by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (IPTS) on mountain foods. Results should be delivered by the end of 2012.
Events
The main recent event organised has been the final conference of EuroMARC, Maribor, 3-4 December 2009.
- See the conference proceedings in the pages dedicated to EuroMARC.
For questions related to mountain products, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
To learn more:
- European Charter for mountain quality food products :
- EuroMARC: Policy recommendations for the development of mountain products
- EuroMARC: Guidelines for actors of mountain agro-food supply chains
