Romania wins against Bulgaria the European recognition of the protected geographical indication (PGI) of the product “Plăcintă Dobrogeană” after almost two years of “strong and persistent opposition” from its neighbors south of the Danube.

• “During the recent diplomatic negotiations between the Ministries of Agriculture of Romania and Bulgaria, in dialogue with the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG Agri) within the framework of the European Commission (EC), an agreement was reached, according to which Romania will receive European recognition through the registration of the product “Plăcintă Dobrogeană PGI” and its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union with all rights for an unlimited period.
• Bulgaria’s opposition is based on the shared history of the Dobrudja region, which also included the territory of Bulgaria, and our neighbors have put up a strong and constant resistance for almost two years,” said Ionuts Diakoneas, adviser to the Directorate General for European Affairs. Agerpres and international relations from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR).

Comfort for Bulgaria

He said Bulgaria would get the right to use the name, but only locally, in the southern region of Constanta County and without PGI recognition, with Cyrillic or Latin “Dobrudzhanka Banitsa”, for 10 years, although he had originally asked for 15 years.

Also, Bulgarian neighbors will not be able to export a product with a name translated into Romanian as “Plăcintă Dobrogeană”.

“The fact that other countries are following us, and in this case Bulgarian neighbors, shows the fame and special quality of Romanian products, which are highly valued on the market and are slowly making their way both on the European market and in the register of products recognized by the European Commission for their quality,” Diaconeasa also reported.

According to the quoted source, this decision will be taken in March at a meeting of the Directorate-General for Agriculture, where it is on the agenda, after which it will be published in the Official Journal of the EU, most likely in April.

How long did the procedures last?

The steps for the European recognition of this product with PGI started in 2017, the year in which the traditional association Moesis was founded, with the aim of promoting the traditional Romanian product and producers, as well as building the identity of Romanian products both in domestic and foreign markets and abroad.

A year later, in December 2018, documentation was submitted to MADR for European recognition of the product “Dobrogean Pie – Protected Geographical Indication”. to the EC in the electronic system “eAmbrosia” in May 2019. The application was published in the Official Journal of the EU in February 2021, after which Bulgaria submitted a reasoned statement of objection. Starting in July 2021, the EC invited the opponent and the applicant to start consultations.

What is drobrogean pie

Dobrudja pie is a baked, pre-baked, frozen and raw frozen dough made from sheets filled with salty telemea cheese mixed with cheese and eggs. Sheets of the product are obtained by stretching and pulling out the dough. Sheets with filling are folded, wrinkled and placed spirally in round trays. The weight of the product is from 500 to 2000 grams. The salty taste is provided by a mixture of telemea cheese, cheese, eggs and yogurt, baked together with sheets of unleavened dough.

The product “Dobrogei pie” has a soft, tender texture, thanks to the egg and yogurt mixture poured on top, compared to other products of the same type, which have a crispy texture with a slightly brittle surface. Another difference from other products of the same type is the use unfrozen puff pastry, freshly prepared dough for each batch of finished products.

Only ten recognized Romanian food products

To date, Romania has recognized 10 products under European quality systems, of which nine are from PGI, respectively:

• Poplar plum magiun, Sibiu salami, smoked Novac from Ţara Bârsei,
• Smoked Danube crumb, Pleșcoi sausage, Sibiu Telemea, Săveni cheese,
• Salad with pike caviar from Tulcha, Traditional salad with carp caviar,

Telemeaua de Ibăneşti is a recognized Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product.

At the same time, spirits from the category of fruit brandies (Pălincă, Tuică Zetea de Medieșu Aurit, Ţuica de Argeş, Horincă de Câmârzana) and from the category of wine brandies (Vinars Târnave, Vinars Vaslui, Vinars Murfatlar, Vinars Vrancea, Vinars Segarcea) are also registered at the European level. ). At MADR, procedures for registration of Pelin products, produced in the category of flavored drinks, according to European quality systems, are ongoing.

Seven other products submitted for registration are at an advanced stage: Salinate de Turda (neck, cutlet, pork breast and pork leg) – PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) – 15.12.2021 the necessary documentation was submitted to the European Commission; Pita de Pecica (Protected Geographical Indication) – on 22.12.2021, the application of Romania to obtain protection in the Quality System of Protected Geographical Indication was registered in the electronic system “eAmbrosia”.

The file for Hoghilag tuberose is in the specialized MADR department and the documentation related to the registration as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) is under analysis, as well as for the products: tea cheese (PGI), hot dogs (PGI) and bellows . The steps necessary to complete the stages related to the development and submission of documentation for potential product names for registration in European quality systems are ongoing.

Specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture have identified other traditional products for possible European registration, such as: Telemea de Vaideeni (Vilcea county), rhubarb jam, Gulianca cheese, Nădlac salami, Copalău garlic, Pericei onion, Transylvanian ham, Toboliu cabbage, German beer , kobza with smoked trout from Valea Putnei, Muscelean pretzels, smoked plums from Sambureşti, Oltene sausages, Voineşti apples, etc.

Out of 1,760 food products from member countries registered in European quality systems, only ten are Romanian food products.