Minister McConalogue said: “I am very pleased that consultations between my Department and Bord Bia with their Northern Ireland and UK counterparts have successfully concluded, with agreement that the geographical area covered by the application will cover both Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
“I have always been committed to extending the PGI application to the whole island of Ireland; and have discussed this issue with my counterpart Minister Edwin Poots on a number of occasions. I want to acknowledge the hard work of all those involved in reaching this agreement, including my Department officials and Bord Bia, and their counterparts in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the Livestock and Meat Commission, and the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The European Commission will now be notified of the agreement; and I hope that the remaining steps can be progressed quickly, so that the process for registration may be finalised by the European Commission as soon as possible.”
The interim CEO of Bord Bia, Michael Murphy, said: “I welcome the progress made in getting the application to this stage. Bord Bia initiated this PGI application because it presents a significant opportunity to add value for Irish beef exports to key markets based on a well-established reputation of excellent quality based on our unique pasture-based production system. We are now progressing our approach to the implementation of the PGI for Irish Grass Fed Beef in our European markets, pending the successful completion of the application process. Together with our farmers, exporters and customers, we want to ensure that the PGI can be implemented to grow consumers’ recognition of the unique characteristics and reputation of Irish Grass Fed Beef as a protected European regional product. “
The revised specification will be published on the website of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine shortly, and notified to the European Commission, which will advise on next steps. Because of the change to the geographical area, this will require a further publication and consultation period at EU/third country level.