Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
policy. Recital (1) refers to the quality and diversity of the EU's agricultural,
fisheries and aquaculture production as one of its important strengths, giving a
competitive advantage to the EU's producers and making a major contribution
to its living cultural and gastronomic heritage. This is attributed to the
capacities of EU farmers and producers 'to maintain their traditions while
taking into account the developments of new production methods and mater-
ial'.
2. Consumer demands
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At the same time Recital (2) observes that EU consumers 'increasingly demand
quality as well as traditional products' and are also concerned to maintain the
diversity of the agricultural production, which 'generates a demand for agricul-
tural products or foodstuffs with identifiable specific characteristics, in particu-
lar those linked to their geographical origin'.
3. Fair competition
Recital (3) explains that this diversity can only be maintained if producers are
rewarded fairly for their effort, which requires that they are able to communi-
cate to buyers and consumers the characteristics of their product under condi-
tions of fair competition and to be able to correctly identify their products on
the marketplace.
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4. Rural development
Recital (4) suggests that operating quality schemes for producers which reward
them for their efforts to produce a diverse range of quality products can benefit
the rural economy, particularly in less favoured areas, in mountain areas and in
the most remote regions, where the farming sector accounts for a significant
part of the economy and production costs are high. Thus Recital (4) suggests
that quality schemes are able to contribute to and complement rural develop-
ment policy as well as market and income support policies of the common
agricultural policy (CAP).
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5. Legislative coherence
With the plethora of European legislation on agricultural policy and foodstuffs
labelling, as well as on geographical indications and designations of origin,
Recital (9) identifies the achievement of a greater overall coherence and
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