European Commission Daily News 16th Feb

Agriculture: Commission approves two new geographical indications from Croatia

The European Commission has approved the application for inclusion of “Dalmatinska panceta” and “Dalmatinska pečenica” from Croatia in the Register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI). ‘Dalmatinska panceta’ is a long-life, rectangular-shaped dried meat product produced from lean pork bacon. “Dalmatinska pečenica” is a long-life, boneless dried meat product made from the long back muscle of the pig. Produced in Dalmatia, they present specific organoleptic characteristics, in particular a slightly salty flavor, tenderness, fondant, as well as a discreet note of smoke. These properties are the result of the special production method and the special conditions of the Dalmatian climate. The art of preserving meat by salting and drying spread throughout Dalmatia from the time when the latter was under Roman administration. This know-how has been passed down from generation to generation and has been perfected over time, so that the manufacturing process, further benefiting from favorable climatic conditions and the permanent availability of sea salt, ended up being ‘to be part of the traditions of Dalmatia. These new names will join 1512 already protected food products, the list of which is available in the eAmbrosia database. For more information, see also the pages on quality policy.

Commissioners Schmit, Breton and Kyriakides host Pact for Skills roundtable with executives and representatives from the health ecosystem

This afternoon, Commissioners Schmit, Breton and Kyriakides will host a high-level roundtable on the Pact for Skills with the health ecosystem. This is part of a series of sectoral roundtables to foster stakeholder involvement under the Pact for Skills. Announced under the European Skills Agenda in July, the Pact was launched on 10 November. The objective of the Pact is to mobilise all relevant actors – industrial, social, regional and education partners – to assist people in developing the right skill-set for a sustainable, social and resilient recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Partnerships established under the Pact will benefit from Commission support such as a partnership platform and information on EU funding options. The health sector has been identified as an important industrial ecosystem to partner up with under the Pact due to the severe consequences of the pandemic on health systems and, the strong engagement of health stakeholders and industrial players, as well as the great potential of digital technologies for the sector. Upskilling (improving existing skills) and reskilling (training in new skills) of healthcare workers are important drivers for the recovery from the pandemic and for the long-term effectiveness and resilience of the sector. The use of digital skills in assisting and facilitating the transformation of health systems and patient safety is of particular interest. (For more information: Marta Wieczorek – Tel.: +32 229 58197; Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953) 

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