Arad County Traditional Products To Receive European Certification

Paula Bulzan, Arad

Arad County authorities have started the procedure for the European certification of several traditional products within a broader plan to develop rural tourism. The first step in this direction was taken Wednesday, when Arad County Prefect Calin Bibart received Lucia Romanescu, Executive Director of the National Office for Romanian Traditional and Ecological Products. The meeting was also attended by Adam Alda, Deputy Executive Director of the Arad County Consultancy Office.

The visit was intended to identify and promote traditional products of Arad County pending the issuance of European certification and the registration of the respective trademark. So far, 20 traditional products of Arad County have been identified and presented for European certification and trademark protection. the list includes the Pecica Bread, the Nadlac Salami, the Nadlac Stew, the Vinga Chocolate, the Socodor Cabbage, the Chisindia Brandy, the Vinga Onion etc.

Lucia Romanescu, Executive Director of the National Office for Romanian Traditional and Ecological Products, emphasized that all producers who registered their products at European level would have a number of benefits to encourage them in their endeavour. "Romania has no product protected at European level. We are in the process of certifying the Sibiu Salami, the Plescoi Sausage and the Virsli. This is something new for us and that is why we intend to establish partnership with the countries that have experience in this field, such as France or Austria, who have certified hundreds of products," Romanescu added.

"Our wish is to keep and promote these products, because, if we lose the rights to the authentic product, there is no way to recover them in years. As people of Arad, we have duty to promote the specific products of Arad County throughout the world," said Arad County Prefect Calin Bibart. In turn, producers said they had been waiting for such initiative for years. "We have done what was up to us to do. We kept the original traditions and recipes alive to the best of our knowledge and abilities. It is time that authorities supported us to legally protect and promote these products," said Mircea Donca, a vegetable farmer in Socodor.

The producers are confident that the good promotion of such products would give a chance to the development of rural tourism as many areas where traditional products are made can be very interesting to agricultural tourism investors.