Romania to include regional cheese, smoked fish and salami among EU’s protected products

Three Romanian products are to get European protection in the near future. The Ibanesti cheese (Telemeaua de Ibanesti) will get protection and recognition among EU member states within two weeks while the Sibiu Salami and the Novac smoked fish from Tara Barsei (Novacul afumat din Tara Barsei) will most likely be certified in May. “In about two weeks we’ll get the necessary approval for the Ibanesti cheese to be a product with protected designations of origin (PDO). It passed the opposition period at the community level, and there is only an internal procedure left. We also fixed the problems for the Novac smoked fish from Tara Barsei and hope to get the European Commission’s approval in May,” said Viorel Morarescu, general manager within the Romanian Agriculture Minister, cited by local Agerpres. The Sibiu salami is still in the opposition period on the European Union’s website. The Commission’s approval could also come in May if the other member states don’t make any observations until then. According to the Ministry’s data, there are 1,427 traditional products guaranteed worldwide, out of which the EU holds 1,404. Italy has the largest number of protected products – 296, followed by France with 243, Spain with 205, Portugal with 139 and Greece with 106. The Topoloveni plum jam (Magiun de prune Topoloveni) is the only Romanian product added by the European Commission to the register of protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI). Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com