Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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632. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44155/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The application for PGI status for Irish Grass Fed Beef has been sent for scrutiny by the EU Commission. The PGI Regulation provides that this period of scrutiny can be up to six months or longer. If the application is considered to be in order by the EU, an opposition procedure will be launched by the EU. The period for receipt of such oppositions is three months.

Given that the application still has to go through this process at EU level, no arrangements have yet been made for a logo. In the case of GI products originating in the Union that are marketed as a Protected Designation of Indication (PGI), the Regulations require that the Union symbols associated with them shall appear on the labelling.

At the meeting of the Beef Taskforce in October, it was agreed that in the event that PGI status for Irish Grass Fed Beef was approved by the EU Commission, a monitoring group will be established with a farmer majority which will have a role in monitoring the use of the PGI including through assessment of market information available.

It was discussed in detail and very clearly outlined to the Beef Taskforce over the course of several discussions that both the Grass fed standard and logo, which are already in place, and the PGI application, are being developed to strengthen the brand proposition for Irish beef.