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Euromontana releases study on “mountain product” term

07.07.2020

Mountain Partnership member Euromontana has released an up-to-date study on the implementation within the European Union of the “mountain product” term.

The “mountain product” optional quality term helps communicate the many values of mountain products: they are high-quality and sustainable products that contribute to the preservation of traditional knowledge and mountain biodiversity, and provide income to mountain farmers and communities.

In 2012, the European Union codified the use of the optional quality term “mountain product” for products and foods originating in mountain areas. Two years later, in 2014, the European Commission adopted the delegated act (EU) No 665/2014. Since then, several countries have moved forward with the implementation of the “mountain product” term at the national level. 

Euromontana has monitored the use of the term since 2012, and this newly published study analyzes latest developments in 17 countries. This 2020 edition is an update of a study first published in 2016, which was also updated in 2017 and 2019. Euromontana’s 2020 update takes into account the most recent developments, particularly in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, provides national statistics on the uptake of the “mountain product” term, and highlights examples of the term’s usage.

Euromontana calls upon Member States to accelerate the implementation of the optional quality term and to implement adequate control systems while launching large communication campaigns to inform farmers about this opportunity. Euromontana also encourages the European Commission to remind their Member States about the “mountain product” term and to carry out a follow-up of its implementation, including in the Farm to Fork Strategy, to ensure the production of quality food in Europe.

The Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) initiative, launched in 2016, builds upon Euromontana's many years of work on a Europe-level regulation for mountain products.

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Read the report

Photo from Alma Karsymbek