site.btaThirty Bulgarian Products to Apply for EU Quality Logos

Thirty Bulgarian Products to Apply for EU Quality Logos

Sofia, December 19 (BTA) - Thirty Bulgarian products will apply for protection under the EU schemes of geographical indications as part of a campaign promoting the authentic taste of local products, Momchil Nekov MEP, who launched the campaign, told a BTA-hosted news conference.

The campaign was prompted by the shrinking production of authentic Bulgarian products, Nekov said, adding that they will be protected against competition, and that the protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) logos will safeguard their reputation.

Those products will be marketed in the EU and elsewhere thanks to an EU promotion programme for which 10 million euro has been allocated. Nekov said the aid package would increase to 133 million euro in 2017, of which 12 million euro will be earmarked for PGI/PDO products. By 2020 the aid package is to total 200 million euro.

Some of the Bulgarian products to apply for protection are Smilyan beans, Cherni Vit green cheese, Kurtovo Konare pink tomato and Elena dry-cured ham.