Cumberland sausages, Cornish pasties and other British delicacies could achieve protected European status more quickly if new rules are approved.
With applications currently taking up to five years, the European Commission has opened a consultation to determine how the process for achieving PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status can be improved.
This could result in the currently lengthy application process being streamlined, with one option being a central agency to handle applications.
"There are so many steps, and each one adds time," said Andy McGowan, head of industry development at Quality Meat Scotland, who was in Brussels last week to discuss the issue on behalf of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union. "If you had one central European body accepting and processing the applications it would cut out all the local and national stages that need to be overcome first. That would make the schemes more accessible."
UK producers have generally been slower than their European counterparts to apply for protected status, though a number of applications are currently in progress.
Melton Mowbray Pork Pies recently achieved PGI status, while Cornish pasties and Cumberland sausages also have an application in.
"We've just got the application rubberstamped in the UK, but have been told it'll now take 18 months to two years to go through Europe," said a spokesperson for the Cumberland Sausage Association.
"A lot of new member states have been putting in applications," he added.
There have been calls for more producers to apply.
"The UK was slow on the uptake when these standards were introduced in 1993," said Irene Bocchetta, who handles applications at Food from Britain.
Bocchetta is set to meet Defra officials to discuss a joint response to the consultation.
With applications currently taking up to five years, the European Commission has opened a consultation to determine how the process for achieving PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status can be improved.
This could result in the currently lengthy application process being streamlined, with one option being a central agency to handle applications.
"There are so many steps, and each one adds time," said Andy McGowan, head of industry development at Quality Meat Scotland, who was in Brussels last week to discuss the issue on behalf of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union. "If you had one central European body accepting and processing the applications it would cut out all the local and national stages that need to be overcome first. That would make the schemes more accessible."
UK producers have generally been slower than their European counterparts to apply for protected status, though a number of applications are currently in progress.
Melton Mowbray Pork Pies recently achieved PGI status, while Cornish pasties and Cumberland sausages also have an application in.
"We've just got the application rubberstamped in the UK, but have been told it'll now take 18 months to two years to go through Europe," said a spokesperson for the Cumberland Sausage Association.
"A lot of new member states have been putting in applications," he added.
There have been calls for more producers to apply.
"The UK was slow on the uptake when these standards were introduced in 1993," said Irene Bocchetta, who handles applications at Food from Britain.
Bocchetta is set to meet Defra officials to discuss a joint response to the consultation.
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