The document discusses the EU regulations on geographical indications and traditional specialties guaranteed, including requirements for product specifications, applications for registration, official controls, and verification of compliance with specifications. It also introduces the Italian control body Suolo e Salute, which is accredited to certify products from organic farming, traceability, integrated farming, and more. Specifically, Suolo e Salute controls the Reggio Emilia traditional balsamic vinegar PDO and oversees the certification process and chain of control for protected designation of origin products in Italy.

1. Implications and challenges for
pre-accession countries
Presentation of control and
certification system in EU
Presentation of control and
certification system in EU

2. EUROPEAN REGULATION
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006
of 20 March 2006
On the protection of geographical indications
and designations of origin for agricultural
products and foodstuffs
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 509/2006
of 20 March 2006
on agricultural products and foodstuffs as traditional
specialities guaranteed

3. Article 4 (Reg. CE 510/2006)
Product specification
1. To be eligible for a protected designation of
origin (PDO) or a protected geographical
indication (PGI), an agricultural product or
foodstuff shall comply with a product
specification.
2. The product specification shall include at
least:
……..
(g) the name and address of the authorities or
bodies verifying compliance with the
provisions of the specification and their
specific tasks;
…….

4. Article 7 (Reg. CE 509/2006)
Application for registration
…….
3. The application for registration shall
include at least:
…….
(c) the name and address of the authorities
or bodies verifying compliance with the
provisions of the specification, and their
specific tasks;
……...

5. Article 10 (Reg CE 510) Article 14 (Reg CE 509)
Official controls
• 1. Member States shall designate the competent
authority or authorities responsible for controls in
respect of the obligations established by this
Regulation in conformity with Regulation (EC) No
882/2004.
• 2. Member States shall ensure that any operator
complying with this Regulation is entitled to be
covered by a system of official controls.
• 3. The Commission shall make public the name
and address of the authorities and bodies referred
to in paragraph 1 or in Article 11 and update it
periodically.

6. Article 11 (Reg CE 510) Article 15 (Reg CE
509)
Verification of compliance with
specifications
1. In respect of geographical indications and designations
of origin relating to a geographical area within the
Community, verification of compliance with the
specifications, before placing the product on the
market, shall be ensured by:
— one or more competent authorities referred to in Article
10 and/or
— one or more control bodies within the meaning of Article
2 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 operating as a
product certification body.
The costs of such verification of compliance with the
specifications shall be borne by the operators subject to
those controls.

7. Article 11 (Reg CE 510) Article 15 (Reg CE
509)
Verification of compliance with
specifications
2. In respect of the geographical indications
and designations of origin relating to a
geographical area in a third country,
verification of compliance with the
specifications, before placing the product
on the market, shall be ensured by:
— one or more public authorities designated
by the third country and/or
— one or more product certification bodies.

8. Article 11 (Reg CE 510) Article 15 (Reg CE
509)
Verification of compliance with
specifications
3. The product certification bodies referred
to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall comply with
and, from 1 May 2010 be accredited in
accordance with European standard EN
45011 or ISO/IEC Guide 65 (General
requirements for bodies operating product
certification systems).

9. Article 11 (Reg CE 510) Article 15 (Reg CE
509)
Verification of compliance with
specifications
4. Where, the authorities referred to in
paragraphs 1 and 2, have chosen to verify
compliance with the specifications, they
shall offer adequate guarantees of
objectivity and impartiality, and have at
their disposal the qualified staff and
resources necessary to carry out their
functions.

10. 10
SUOLO E SALUTESUOLO E SALUTE
ITALIAN CONTROL BODY

11. SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.
Suolo e Salute was born from the
experience of the Suolo e Salute
Association, which started in 1969 thanks
to the work of some pioneers, doctors and
agronomist, who strongly believed in a
new model of agricultural development,
respectuful of the law of nature, the soil
and the enveroiment. It was the first
experience in Italy for the promoting of
organic farming and of the organic-mineral
method.

12. SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.
12

13. 13
CONTROL BODYCONTROL BODY
ACCREDITED BY SINCERT UNI EN 45011:1998ACCREDITED BY SINCERT UNI EN 45011:1998
FOR THE CERTIFICATION:FOR THE CERTIFICATION:
•• PRODUCTS FROM ORGANIC FARMINGPRODUCTS FROM ORGANIC FARMING
•• TRACEABILITY (ISO 22005)TRACEABILITY (ISO 22005)
••INTEGRATED FARMING (DTP01)INTEGRATED FARMING (DTP01)
•• GLOBALGAPGLOBALGAP –– FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AND OTHER EXTENSIVE CROPSFRUIT AND VEGETABLES AND OTHER EXTENSIVE CROPS

14. 14
CONTROL BODYCONTROL BODY
ACCREDITED SINCERT ISO 17021ACCREDITED SINCERT ISO 17021
FOR THE CERTIFICATION:FOR THE CERTIFICATION:
•• ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
CERTIFICATIONCERTIFICATION
ISO 17021ISO 17021
EA 01EA 01 –– AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE (WAITING FOR ACCREDITATION)(WAITING FOR ACCREDITATION)
EA 03EA 03 –– FOOD INDUSTRYFOOD INDUSTRY (WAITING FOR ACCREDITATION)(WAITING FOR ACCREDITATION)
EA 30EA 30 –– HOTEL SERVICESHOTEL SERVICES –– CATERING AND BARSCATERING AND BARS

15. 15
CONTROL BODYCONTROL BODY
AUTHORIZED BY MI.P.A.A.F.AUTHORIZED BY MI.P.A.A.F.
FOR THE CERTFICATION OFFOR THE CERTFICATION OF
TYPICAL PRODUCTSTYPICAL PRODUCTS
(PDO(PDO –– PGIPGI –– GST)GST)
SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.

16. SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.
The Suolo e salute controls the Valdemone
extra-virgin olive oil P.D.O., the Reggio
Emilia traditional balsamic vinegard
P.D.O., the Bruzio extra-virgin olive oil
P.D.O., the Borgotaro mushrooms P.G.I.,
In transitory phase, Suolo e Salute
controls the Ispica Novella carrot P.G.I.
and the Messina Interdonato lemon P.G.I..
It was indicated for the Etna’s cherry P.G.I.
and Etna’s Indians fig P.D.O..

17. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and GST
Choice of Suolo e Salute as Control Body
The request of entering into the Control
System concerns every association,
intended as Body asking for the PDO,
PGI, GST recognition or in quality of
Tutelage Consortium recognized by
MiPAF. Such indication is formalized,
besides to MiPAF, also to Suolo e Salute.

18. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and GST
Suolo e Salute, according to the approved PDP PGI,
GST guideline, also in a transitory way, by the
competent offices, sets the drafts of the Control
Plan, the related forms and the fee schedule.
The drafts of the Control Plan and the related forms,
set by the Technical Management are sent to
Committee for Safeguard of the Integrity (CSI) for
the approval.
Once approved, Suolo e Salute send the drafts to
the National Body for the vigilance for the define
approval, that will be formalized through proper
Ministry Decree.

19. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GST
Request of entering into the control
system for the PDO, PGI, GST.
The request can be performed by subjects
interested into the different typologies of
typical products PGI, PDO, GST, through
proper request of entering, to be sent to
Suolo e Salute.

20. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GST
Accepting into the control system of the
PDO, PGI, GST.
1.Acquiring of the documents and its
evaluation,
2.Initial inspection visit in the company,
3.Evaluation from the TDC (Technical
Deliberation Committee),
4.Writing of the lists of the companies
compliant to the Guideline,
5.Sending of the lists to the requesting
Organization and to the MiPAF.

21. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GST
Maintenance of the requirements
Yearly Suolo e Salute performs inspection
visits according to the specific Controls
Plan
Conformity trials of the product.
The operator will have to leave available to
Suolo e Salute the samples necessary to
the check of conformity with respect of the
requirements listed in the Production
Gudeline.

22. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GST
Authorization for use of labels.
Whatever the Guideline will contain precise
indications concerning the labelling of the
PDO, PGI, GST products, the operator
must send preventively to Suolo e Salute
the draft of the label that will have to be
approved.
For every operator labels, with progressive
numbering distinguished for year of
production, will be released.

23. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GSTManagement of the non Conformity
After checks/verifications, caried out on the process and on
the product, along all the production chain, some non
conformities can be found.
For “non conformities” are intended the failure in respecting
the requirement of process and product listed in the
Guideline.
The non conformity can be found:
• By the operators involved in the production/marketing of
the PDO, PGI, GST products,
• By Suolo e Salute as the Control Body authorized by the
Ministry of Agricultural Policies to perform the controls of
conformity,
• By Authorities for Public Control.

24. Procedure of certification
for the products PDO, PGI and
GST
Suspension and revokation of the operators
Use of PDO, PGI and GST will be suspended
in all the checked events of major non
conformity foreseen by the Guideline and by
the Control Plan.
The supsension will be deliberated by the TDC
(Technical Deliberation Committee) and
communicated to the National Body for the
vigilance, through registered letter in which
the reason of the suspension will be specified

25. SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.
An Italian experience

26. The Reggio Emilia
traditional
balsamic vinegard P.D.O.
(ABTRE)

27. 27

28. On March 8, 2006, Suolo e Salute
has been authorized to perform
the controls on the protected
designation of origin
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di
Reggio Emilia

29. Up today, the entire chain of the PDO
is made by 78 companies entered
into the controls system;
Of these 78, 33 have been notified for
the bottling and/or marketing of the
loose product.

30. Besides the control activity on the entire
chain of the Consortium (ABTRE),
Suolo e Salute had the assignment to
organize the training courses for official
tasters subscribed to the list of the local
Chamber of Commerce

31. As known, the sensorial analysys is a
fundamental moment for the evaluation of
the qualitative standards of the products.
This activity gives, for our opinion, higher
transparency, reliability and garancy for
the consumer.

32. According to our experience we consider
that, for the consumer and for the quality
of the protected productions, the sinergy
between the tutelage activity performed
by the Consortiums and the certification
activity performed by the Control Bodies
can go further the mere control.

33. SUOLO E SALUTE S.r.l.
33