Istria County in the European Regions Workgroup on Olive growing and presentation of the project KEY Q

On the 7th of March 2012, AREPO (the European Association of Geographical Indications) held an Assembly meeting where representatives of Istria County and the Agency for Rural Development of Istria (AZRRI) participated as observers.
Istria aims at full membership in this association that protects the interests of European regions and their products with geographical indications in their interaction with the relevant European institutions.

Topics of the plenary assembly session were: reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2014-2020, the CAP Quality Package concerning geographical indications (Designation of Origin, Geographical Origin, Traditional Speciality Guaranteed), and promotion of agricultural products and potential traditional products for which registration of geographical indications might be sought in the near future.

On the same day, AREPO and AREFLH (Assembly of the European Regions producing Fruit, Vegetables and Plants) organized jointly the European Forum of Olive Regions. During this meeting a Working Group of European Regions for Olive Growing was constituted. Istria was among the founders of this group, which will contribute to the development of Istrian olive production and improve the promotion of Istrian oil throughout Europe. Regions participating in the working group are: Istria, Catalonia, Corsica, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Tuscany, Andalucia, Emilia-Romagna, Rhone-Alpes, Puglia, Crete, Languedoc Rousillon, Sterea Ellada and Corcega.

The aim of the network of European regions is to promote the importance of olive oil in Mediterranean nutrition, encouraging local and international partnerships and the concentration of supply, creating a mechanism for price and cost control. In addition, through this network the regions aim to evaluate the organoleptic properties of olive oil (i.e. flavour and odour) and its positive impact on health, as well as to strengthen research and development of analytical methods and control to provide better security to both producers and consumers of oil.

The Istrian Region was represented by Dino Babić, the official representative of Istria to the European institutions. Jasenka Kapuralin, head of the development programs of AZRRI presented the Istrian olive sector. The forum was concluded with a tasting of extra-virgin olive oil, where the Istrian oil attracted special attention.

The project KEY Q, funded through the IPA Adriatic instrument, was presented on the same day and arrangements were made to repeat the event at the Open Days in Brussels, in October 2012. Furthermore, the Tourism and Hospitality Management Schools that participate in the project have established cooperation with the Royal Culinary Academy from Belgium.