Geographical Indications:
Control, Certification and Accreditation
Swiss experiences
Peter Damary, AGRIDEA
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28th october 2009, Tbilisi
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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Foreword on the situation in the EU and Switzerland
Controls and certification : Key procedures
Accreditation
Checking the distribution
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1. Foreword on the situation in Switzerland
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Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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 Vietnam
already
study tour 8-09-09
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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
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Triangle of GI and keys words
Producers, Processors
Supply chain
organisation
(interprofession)
Consumers, Retailers
Free-riders
Supply
chain
Impact
s
Product, Specificity, Terroir
Typicity
Code of practice
Delimited geographical area
Product
Institutional / legal
framework
Institutional framework
Legal protection
Market /
Consumer
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Usurpation
Consumer trust
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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 !
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2. Controls and Certification : Key
procedures
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Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders
ACCREDITATION
BOARD
STATE LEVEL
INTERPROFESSION
AL BODY
PRIVATE LEVEL
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STATE LEGAL
STRUCTURE
Min Economy
Min Agriculture
CERTIFICATION
BODY
EN 45’011
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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.
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Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
The two check phases
CERTIFICATION BODY
• Checking
the
production
supply chain !
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CANTONAL
LABORATORIES
(State authorities)
• Check the distribution (labeling
in the shops)
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
• Two steps lead to the certification decision
o The GI product registration (at the national and /or
European level)
o The certification decision itself
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PRODUCERS
CONSORTIA
MEETING BETWEEN
CERTIFICATION BODY &
PRODUCERS CONSORTIA
Compilation
Modifications if needed
ELABORATE
CONTROL HANDBOOK
Inspectors’ affectation
Handbook adoption
INSPECTION REPORTS ON THE FIELD
TESTING REPORTS
Transmission
OFFICE FOR
INTELECTUAL
PROPERTY
MIN. AGRI
NAT. COM. for GI
Launching of the
inspection, testing &
analysis campaign
Inspectors training
Examines the elaborate
CONSULTATION
OPPOSITION PROCEDURES
Official
publication
REGISTRATION
RESULTS EXAMINATION
(one by one)
Results
+
-
Conformity
recovery
Transmission to the
certification body
INITIAL APPROVAL
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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.
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 practices
o Checking on the basis of the control handbook with
different possible points of non conformity
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The certification of a product is based on the control
of three main components:
• the processes,
• the traceability,
• the final product.
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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).
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Some traçability marks
Product must be easily identified by the consumer
• Protected geographical indication
• Specific label
Printed mark
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Solid mark
Numbered sticker
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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.
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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.
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3. Accreditation
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Main Institutional Certification Stakeholders
ACCREDITATION
BOARD
STATE LEVEL
INTERPROFESSION
AL BODY
PRIVATE LEVEL
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STATE LEGAL
STRUCTURE
Min Economy
Min Agriculture
CERTIFICATION
BODY
EN 45’011
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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
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Accreditation mechanisms
• National Accreditation Board accredited in accordance with ISO
17’011 European Accreditation Board (www.europeanaccreditation.org)
• Accreditation deals with two aspects:
o The management, directly controlled by the Certification
Board.
o The technical aspects, for which skilled experts
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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.
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4. Checking the distribution
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The two check phases
CERTIFICATION BODY
• Checking
the
production
supply chain !
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CANTONAL
LABORATORIES
(State authorities)
• Check the distribution (labeling
in the shops)
Vietnam study tour 8-09-09
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)
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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
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Thank you for your attention
For more information : Training course InterGI (april
2010)
peter.damary at. agridea.ch
agridea.ch / international / activities on GIs
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Vietnam study tour 8-09-09