Anatomy of traditional specialities guaranteed: analysis of the functioning, limitations and (possible) future of the forgotten EU Quality Scheme

This article focuses on traditional specialities guaranteed (TSGs), the least researched of the EU quality schemes that also include the better known protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI). Firstly, this contribution presents a historical account of the evolution of this quality label. Secondly, it illustrates the results of the first empirical analysis of the contents of the Single Documents for all the TSGs registered, thus providing an unprecedented view of their nature. Thirdly, it divides TSGs into six categories, which will be called ‘profiles’, in order to provide a nuanced picture of what is protected by this quality scheme and how. Finally, this work reflects on why this label has always been essentially unsuccessful in terms of number of registrations, and what could be done to revive it. It concludes that, because of the residual nature of TSGs compared with PDOs/PGIs, it is highly unlikely that TSGs will acquire more importance as market-related labels. Hence, from this point of view, discontinuing them might lead to a simplification and clarification of the EU quality schemes. However, the fact that they are residual does not mean that they are superfluous. They may nonetheless play a meaningful role as tools aimed at connecting the names of traditional products with their original recipes, thus contributing to the preservation of relevant pieces of European gastronomic heritage that would otherwise be denied any form of recognition and protection.