Protected Designation Of Origin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Protected Designation Of Origin - Essay Example In order for a product to be registered and the producers offered the rights that accompany registration, there must be a formal application made to the Department of the environment, food and rural affairs (Defra). The application must be accompanied by supporting documentation which indicates that the food product is produced, processed and prepared within a geographic area and by virtue of this, the product has inherent characteristics that derive from the geographic area. The application is then examined by the staff of Defra and any pertinent questions may be raised and correspondence incited between the applicant and the Defra officials. If the application proves to have some merit after the Defra investigation, it is then passed on to the European Commission for further investigation. When the application reaches the European Commission, the Commission is afforded up to six months to determine the validity of the claim. In so doing, the Commission is free to seek the assistanc e of the Scientific Committee which is established solely for this purpose. In offering assistance, the Scientific Committee can conduct tests and offer the expert opinion with regards to the geographic origin of the product. If after consulting with the Scientific Committee, the Commission is satisfied that the product warrants PDO registration, a summary sheet of the product is published in the Official Journal of the European Community. At this point, the registration is open for objections for the next six months.