Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
1039. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of his visit to Milan in March 2024 with farm organisation representatives and an organisation (details supplied) to launch a PGI logo; if he will advise on aspects of the trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15151/24]
View answerThe application for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Irish Grass Fed Beef was submitted by Bord Bia on behalf of producers and processors. The PGI was registered by the European Commission in December 2023 after almost five years of work to get it to that stage. This is a huge achievement as PGI status is reserved only for the highest quality food and drink products in Europe. Adding grass-fed Irish beef to this list was true recognition of the quality and status of our beef products.
The European Commission PGI rules require that there are sufficient controls to ensure that the product bearing the EU PGI logo meets the product specification registered with the EU before the PGI product is placed on the market. The organisation in question was the first processor to put in place the required controls and these were subject to examination by the PGI applicant, Bord Bia. In accordance with EU rules, my Department, as the Competent Authority, carried out official control verifications on the operator's control framework. Following completion of these procedures, the organisation in question could successfully bring the PGI product to market for their customer in Italy.
I was delighted and privileged to attend the launch of the first Irish Grass Fed Beef product on supermarket shelves which took place in Milan in 19th March. It was an important milestone as it marked the first placing of this PGI product on the market for consumers. I was delighted to be joined there by the processor concerned, their customer, Bord Bia representatives and the farming body representatives from the Board of Bord Bia. This reflected the collaborative approach to achieving this PGI. It's essential now that our marketing initiatives for this PGI product continue and that we see it rolled out to consumers where PGI products are highly valued.
Bord Bia and my Department are there to assist other operators bringing forward their PGI Irish Grass Fed Beef products in due course. My Department’s expenses were funded through the normal travel expenses protocol for such events. Other attendees at the launch were responsible for their own expenses.
