Cross-border deal to include North in legal protection for Irish grass-fed beef
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Cross-border agreement has been reached to include the North in Ireland's PGI application for Irish grass fed beef.
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status gives legal protection to food product names linked to a particular territory or production method.
The purpose of the PGI for Irish grass-fed beef is to promote a premium for the Irish pasture-based farming system.
However, the application quickly turned controversial as sectors within the industry had differing opinions on which conditions should come attached to the label — and which geographical area covered.
Industry leaders in the North feared its approval could see Northern farmers banned from using the phrase to market their beef. Until now, only stock reared and finished in the Republic of Ireland would be eligible for the proposed premium stamp.
It's taken almost three months for the parties to come to an agreement, having been in formal discussions since April when the British government, representing the Northern Ireland beef industry, made an official opposition to the European Commission.
A statement from the North's Department of Agriculture explained: "The opposition made clear that Irish grass-fed beef is produced in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and historically the term ‘Irish’ has been used to refer to products produced in both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland and, therefore, argued that the name should be protected as a PGI unless it can be used in relation to grass-fed beef produced anywhere on the island of Ireland.
"Restricting the use of the name ‘Irish grass-fed beef’ to beef produced in the Republic of Ireland would not reflect or respect the current usage of that name; it would create misunderstanding about the nature of the product and would be detrimental to consumers in general and to Northern Ireland producers in particular.
The European Commission accepted that the opposition had merit and invited all parties to meet for discussions with a view to agreeing how the application might be modified to address the opposition.
Now that an agreement has been made, it is possible that the application could be approved before the end of 2022.
The revised specification for the application will be published on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website, and notified to the European Commission, which will advise on the next steps.
Because of the change to the geographical area, this will require a further publication and consultation period at EU/third country level.
Once approved, farmers across the island who meet the criteria will be able to market their beef in European Union countries under the PGI protection and attract a premium for their product.
Agriculture Minister Charlie 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."
Mr McConalogue acknowledges the work of all those involved in reaching this agreement, including 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," he added.
Michael Murphy, interim Bord Bia chief executive, explained Bord Bia initiated the process because of the "significant opportunities" of PGI status.
"[This will] 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," he said.
"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.
The news was warmly received north of the border too, with Charlie's Northern counterpart Edwin Poots saying he "strongly supports" the inclusion of Northern Ireland’s grass-fed beef.
"I am hopeful that the modified application will be successful and producers in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will benefit from deserved recognition of the quality, characteristics and reputation of their beef," he said.
Ulster Farmers’ Union president David Brown said farmers in the region had made it "very clear from the outset" that they wanted to be part of the Irish grass-fed beef PGI.
"We worked with government and industry to secure Northern Ireland’s inclusion so that the benefits are enjoyed across the island of Ireland by all beef farmers," he said.
"This will help ensure that our NI beef farmers remain on a level playing field with those in the Republic of Ireland and can receive a fair and economical return for the high-quality product they produce.
"We welcome the PGI’s recognition and protection of the credentials and quality of our grass-fed beef which is widely known in the marketplace.”
