WHAT ARE THEY [PDO], [PGI] and [STPG]

As "Protected Destination of Origin - [PDO]"

is comprehended the name of region, concrete place or in exceptional cases of country, which is used in the description of agricultural product or food that comes from this region, the particular place or the country, and which the quality or the characteristics is owed mainly or exclusively in the geographic environment, that includes the natural and human factors and which the production, transformation and process takes place in the delimited geographic region.

As “Protected Geographical Indication - [PGI]”

is comprehended the name of region, concrete place or in exceptional cases of country, that is used in the description of agricultural product or food that comes from this region, the particular place or the country, and which a concrete quality, a fame or other characteristic can is attributed in this geographic origin and that the production and/or transformation and/or the process is realized in the delimited geographic region.
The “Specifically Traditional Products Guaranteed - [STPG]” they are mainly products of transformation that they are characterized by the constitution or their production way, that it has history of decades or even centuries and incorporates the history, the ethics and customs, that is to say the folklore and the traditions of population that it produces.
These products are based on the tradition and the alimentary culture of European citizens and they present particular characteristics which are owed in the climatic conditions of ground of region of culture and in the special conditions of production and transformation.

BACKGROUND

The European Union established in 1992 the regulation 2081/92, for the protection of geographic clues and names of origin of agricultural products and foods and regulation 2082/92, on the certifications of particularity agricultural products and foods.
The aim of regulation 2081/92 is the protection of names, while the aim of regulation 2082/92 is mainly the protection of traditional recipes.
According to these Regulations and in the frame of reorientation of common rural policy (CRP), the farmers have the ability of turning itself in forms of completed growth of countryside, via the differentiation of agricultural production.
Recognition [PDO], [PGI] and [STPG] for the agricultural products and foods gives the ability once in the producers (especially the unfavorable and remote regions) promotes easier products that present specialized characteristics, improving their income with the better prices that achieved in the market and on the other hand in the consumers to buy products qualitative, with guarantees for the production, treatment and their geographic origin.

CONTROL - MARKETING - PROTECTION

System of control and certification

Regulations

(EEC) 2081/92 and 2082/92 forecast system of control and certification, in order that on one side the consumers are sure that the products are produced with concrete specifications and circulate with clues that do not also induce them, from the other hand the producers protect their product from imitations and illicit competition.

Marketing

Each producer, manufacturer and standardized of products [PDO] owe to take approval, for the particular activity, from the residence Address of Rural Growth of Prefectural Self-government, which checks also the observation of special specifications for each product.
The production and the circulation in the trade of products [PDO] and [PGI], without approval by the residence Address of Rural Growth, are not allowed

Protection

The registered names for products [PDO] and [PGI] are protected from any direct or indirect commercial use for products which are not produced according to the special specifications that each product has, as well as from each usurpation, imitation, hint, false or illusory mark with regard to the origin, parentage or nature of each product and from other practical capable disinformation the public with regard to the real parentage of product. Consequently, these products should bring the equitable pointing out so that they are easy recognized.
It is not allowed, they circulate in the trade products, which use names of origin or geographic notifications without they are accompanied by characterization [PDO] or [PGI], respectively.
The legal right of European Union provides the possibility in the teams of producers that possess the right of use of protected names to resort, with each legal way, against what appropriates the name, causing them economic damage.

Third countries

The Community Legislation is not applied in third countries.
Thus, the protection in guaranteed products [PDO] and [PGI] is in effect only in the European Union, even if exist provisions that allow the consolidation of also products of third countries.
The European Union, in the frame of World Organism of Trade, is found in negotiations on the protection in world level of line of Community products, between which are feta and ouzo.

THE SITUATION IN GREECE

Greece has guaranteed 84 names as [PDO] and [PGI], from which:
61 concern products [PDO] and
23 concern products [PGI].
In 84 Protected Names among others are included:
25 olive oils
20 cheeses
22 fruits - vegetables - dry fruits
10 table olives etc.

First, let's answer the question "Why Greek olive oil?".
What is it that makes Greek olive oil so unique?
There are 800 million olive trees in the world with 700 million of them in the Mediterranian area and 140 million of them in Greece.
Olive oil is a very important part of Greek nutrition. The Greek consumer is very particular to the oil he uses in his diet.
He has known it for years, has identified himself with it and will not accept anything less than the quality he is used to.
Olive oil is considered a sacred food in Greece and no alterations or changes of any kind are allowed.
Greece has laws that regulate the quality of olive oil and these laws are strictly enforced for the protection of the consumer. But more important than that, the Greek farmer takes a special pride in the production of olive oil. Extra care is taken at all stages of olive oil production and packaging and standards are kept very high indeed.
The olive oil packaging industry, one of the oldest and healthiest industries in Greece, numbers several large enterprises with international ties as well as medium or family sized enterprises.
The packaging of olive oil is done according to the stringent quality control with many companies functioning under ISO or HACCP quality control rules. Companies check more that 25 parameters in every olive oil batch. It is an extremely high cost procedure, but the consumer can be certain that it exists and that the specifications he will find on labels correspond to the content of the container.
Numerous agreements have been drawn up and legislation keeps piling in recent years to assure company reliability and safety control.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the category mainly produced in Greece (75% of total Greek production) comes in four styles:

A) Regular Extra Virgin Olive Oil,

B) Organic Extra Virgin,

C) Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Extra Virgin

D) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

In fact, most of Greek olive oil could be considered organic even though it may not have the official seal, as many producers do very little by way of fertilization and spraying has been banned. And most certainly all regionally available olive oils with no national distribution could well claim the designation of PDO as they are locally produced and packaged, or PGI as the are locally produced and/or packaged.
One then would ask; Why this does not apply for other countries such as Spain and Italy?
The answer is quite simple really; olive oil imports in Greece are non existant. The only olive oil available in Greece is Greek olive oil, no danger of getting any other kind of origin of olive oil.
There are no blends or mixtures of Greek and foreign olive oils, something that is common practice in other olive oil producing countries. When it says Greek olive oil it is nothing else but Greek olive oil.
We may do not import but exports is a profitable business in Greece. Greek olive oil production is in excess of 420,000 tons annually. Greece, even though quite small, holds 3rd place among the olive oil producing countries.
Per capital consumption on the other hand is the highest in the world - 19 kilos annually.
Still, there is enough left for almost half of the annual production (app. 190,000 tons) to be exported. In fact Greece is the world's largest exporter of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The olive oil industry in the world is well aware of the superior quality and the excellent organoleptic properties of Greek olive oil.
The exported Greek olive oil is blended with other local oils in order to grant its unparalleled taste and aroma to olive oil packaged and sold elsewhere. Greek Olive Oil is mainly exported to the E.U., 90% of total olive oil exports (80% in bulk plus 10% Greek branded olive oil).
There is a rise of exports though towards other non-European countries such as Canada, U.S.A., Australia, Japan and an opening for new markets such as China, Southeast Asia, Argentina and others. The presence of Greek branded olive oil in the international market has for many years been limited. It was not easy for the average consumer to get Greek olive oil. In recent years though there has been a steady change.
Greek exports have increased greatly.
This increase to a certain extent reflects the upward swing in overall olive oil consumption due to the shift towards healthy nutrition and the consequent proliferation of Mediterranean cuisine.
And as the international consumer learns to recognize the value of olive oil, he comes to recognize what the experts already know: the incomparable virtues and personality of Greek olive oil. National promotional campaigns run in the U.S. (1992-1999), Canada (1994-1999) and Australia (1999-2001) have also made a difference as Greek olive oil has become more visible.
Pricewise it is usually more expensive than other olive oils but so is the best quality in all food products, you can't have champagne for the price of a common sparkling wine.