Serbia currently has 47 products with protected names or geographical indications. Adopting the draft Law on Quality Schemes will ensure the harmonisation of the national regulation with the EU and the protection of national products at the EU level.
The protected designation of origin system represents one of the best branding tools for foodstuffs. We discussed the importance of protected designation of origin during the panel discussion entitled “Preserving authentic Serbia through protected geographical indication”, organised in cooperation with the Tourist Organisation of Niš, as part of the wine and gastronomy festival Naissus Wine & Fine Fair 2022.
Snežana Kumbarić, head of the Group for designating food and agricultural and food product quality schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture, recalled that Serbia had been involved in the process of protecting geographical indications since 2010, noting that the adoption of the new Law on Quality Schemes would substantially improve the competitiveness of national products in the European market.
Stevica Marković, a producer of Leskovac ajvar and a member of the association “Original Srbija”, which has been promoting products with protected geographical indication and improving the status and working condition of producers, is currently busy bringing together individuals and associations that have either certified or are certifying their products as products with protected designation of origin. It was the members of this association who, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, developed specifications for the protection of geographical indication in line with EU standards for Arilje raspberry, Fruška Gora linden honey, and Pirot cheese. Stevica Marković believes the harmonisation with the EU is equally crucial as a shift in the approach to authentic local products.
Snežana Kumbarić points out that “these will be our first products with a protected geographical indication at the EU level. We hope these three products will pave the way for other producers to do the same and put themselves on par with European producers; in turn, our products’ competitiveness will increase.”
The upcoming Law on Quality Schemes recognises the traditional specialities that guarantee the protection of gastronomic products. Toma Dašić of the Association of Hospitality and Tourist Workers of the City of Niš is preparing a study on the protection of Leskovac mućkalica, in line with the requirements laid out by the upcoming Law.
Dušan Janjić, co-owner of Stari dani winery, agrees that preparing such studies is the most complex and stressful part of protecting the products. Like many other winemakers in Serbia, Janjić, too, entered the process to protect the quality and geographical indication some ten years ago. He explained that “the protection of geographical indication is achieved through regional and subregional associations bringing together wines from a certain geographical area.”
Such a system has enabled this winery to protect two of its wines, a white Sauvignon and a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in the vineyards around Bujanovačka Banja. A portion of grapes is grown in vineyards around Leskovac; however, as the wine is produced in the Vranje region, these wines don’t meet the requirements of protected geographical indication.
With the help of EU Pro, the producers of gastronomic products in south Serbia have established an umbrella trademark entitled “A Bite of South”. The trademark guarantees the authenticity of products with regional distinctions that cannot be trademarked as products with protected geographical indication. It is one way to protect southern Serbia’s gastronomic heritage.
Strengthening the capacity of local producers through associations and the opportunity to place their products jointly in national and international markets, are what our guests are striving to do, believing that Serbian products with geographical indication are in for a bright future in the vast European market.
Strengthening capacity for implementation and further development of legislation in the area of organic production and quality policy of agricultural and food products is the name of the twinning project financed by the EU with nearly 1.14 million euros. One of the project’s results are the drafts of the Law on Organic Production and the Law on Quality Schemes for Agricultural and Food Products and accompanying regulations, as well as the specifications for three products with protected designations of geographical origin at the national level, to be registered at the EU level.
For more information about geographical indication, visit the websites of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute for the Protection of Intellectual Protection.
Since 2000, the European Union’s support for agriculture and rural development in Serbia has amounted to over 230 million euros. EU projects in this sector encourage the use of funds for agriculture and rural development and are designed to improve consumer health protection and product quality, provide incentives, and increase the competitiveness of Serbian farmers in the European Union market with over 500 million consumers.
