European farmers and food producers have a reputation for producing a diverse range of high quality products. Beyond the legal requirements, there are additional aspects of product quality, which are also valued by consumers, e.g. the use of traditional farming methods in production. Agricultural product quality policy forms part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The recent Communication from the Commission on CAP post-2013 has identified several key challenges, including maintaining the diversity of agricultural activities in rural areas and enhancing competitiveness - to which enhancing agricultural product quality policy will contribute. Moreover agricultural quality contributes to strengthening the EU’s share of global trade in food products. The market for quality agricultural products is continuously growing. For example, in 2009 the EU market value for organic products was € 18 billion, while for designated origin and speciality guaranteed products, the market value was € 22 billion. EU citizens are increasingly demanding a wide choice of high quality products, reflecting high safety, environmental and animal wefare standards, in addition to locally sourced products. Proposals in the new Quality Package from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) highlight the critical commercial gains to be made by the strengthening of quality aspects of agricultural production systems. Promoting a more competitive economy is a key priority for the European Union and quality policy is one of the keystones of the EU’s agricultural competitiveness. This eighth edition of the EU Rural Review takes a closer look at how EU agriculture and rural development policy contribute to the promotion of quality products in agriculture. We investigate developments taking place in this area, explore what contribution could be made through the various RDPs and consider its bearing upon agriculture and wider rural policy areas. After an introduction to the concept of quality agricultural products, the magazine focuses on four macro-areas demonstrating the linkages between rural development policy and agricultural product quality : Dairy and meat in France, Luxembourg and Belgium; Fruit and vegetables in Italy; Wine across Europe; The relationship between agriculture and the environment in the Baltic States.

This edition also includes a collection of rural development case studies from Member States. These highlight examples of successful projects and practical experiences which demonstrate the beneficial role that RDP measures play in promoting agricultural product quality on the ground. The suite of RDP measures contributing to the provision of quality products is vast, and comprises measures, which address quality issues through both direct and indirect approaches.