geographical indications: control, certification and accreditation swiss experiences

1Vietnam study tour 8-09-09

Geographical Indications:

Control, Certification and Accreditation

Swiss experiences

Peter Damary, AGRIDEA28th october 2009, Tbilisi


1. Foreword on the situation in the EU and Switzerland

2. Controls and certification : Key procedures

3. Accreditation

4. Checking the distribution


1.Foreword on the situation in Switzerland


What are GI, PDO, PGI ?

• GI: Geographical Indication

o GI is the name of region which is used to designate a product

o The product is special because it comes from a specific place

o A GI is related to know-how and tradition

o A system of guaranty of the product’s characteristics

o A GI is not created, it is recognized. It applies to an already existing production


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


Triangle of GI and keys words

Supply chain

Institutional / legal framework

Market / Consumer

Product

Impacts

Institutional frameworkLegal protection

Product, Specificity, TerroirTypicityCode of practiceDelimited geographical area

Producers, ProcessorsSupply chain organisation (interprofession)Consumers, RetailersFree-riders

UsurpationConsumer trust


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 !


2. Controls and Certification : Key procedures


Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders

STATE LEVEL

PRIVATE LEVEL

ACCREDITATION BOARD

STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE

Min EconomyMin Agriculture

INTERPROFESSIONAL BODY

CERTIFICATION BODY

EN 45’011


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

o Certification of products the certification body certifies that the product conforms to the Code of practice.


The two check phases

CERTIFICATION BODY• Checking the production supply chain !

CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities)

• Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)


• Two steps lead to the certification decision

o The GI product registration (at the national and /or European level)

o The certification decision itself


What does “certify” mean when dealing with GI products?• the initial approval :

– Evaluation of the conditions of production

o 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 practiceso Checking on the basis of the control handbook with different possible points of non conformity


The certification of a product is based on the control of three main components:

• the processes,

• the traceability,

• the final product.


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).


Some traçability marks

Product must be easily identified by the consumer

•Protected geographical indication

•Specific label

Printed mark Solid mark Numbered sticker


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.


Control frequencies are the same for every GI

•Every two years:o Control of the structural and traceability conditions in the Processing enterprises

o Regular controls of the farms with a selection of samples

•At least once a year:o A final product test (organoleptic examination + chemical analysis) in the firms which are directly commercializing the final product.


3. Accreditation


Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders

STATE LEVEL

PRIVATE LEVEL

ACCREDITATION BOARD

STATE LEGAL STRUCTURE

Min EconomyMin Agriculture

INTERPROFESSIONAL BODY

CERTIFICATION BODY

EN 45’011


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


Accreditation mechanisms

• National Accreditation Board accredited in accordance with ISO 17’011 European Accreditation Board (www.european-accreditation.org)

• Accreditation deals with two aspects:o The management, directly controlled by the Certification Board.

o The technical aspects, for which skilled experts


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.


4. Checking the distribution


The two check phases

CERTIFICATION BODY• Checking the production supply chain !

CANTONAL LABORATORIES (State authorities)

• Check the distribution (labeling in the shops)


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)


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


Thank you for your attention

For more information : Training course InterGI (april 2010)

peter.damary at. agridea.ch

agridea.ch / international / activities on GIs

geographical indications: control, certification and accreditation swiss experiences

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