The EUROPEAN TERRITORIAL QUALITY MARK is the collective image of genuine rural territories that work for promoting the development process, with the assistance of public organisms, private firms and all social institutions, and that offer quality products and services respecting the principles and values of environmental protection and production process quality. Such territories work in collaboration with firms and organisations that are committed to the promotion of local development, demonstrating solidarity and synergy, and who encourage the specific identity of each territory. The brand operates as an “umbrella” brand that covers rural territories that already have their own territorial brand and work jointly to achieve a real rural development on a sustainable and balanced scale, without exclusions. The European Territorial Quality Mark may be applied to the Territorial Marks as an added mark, provided that those comply with the following conditions: They are marks which affect natural or administrative territories or those with a historical identity, with a dimension greater than a municipality and smaller than an administrative region (NUTS II), with rural predomination.
The territories bearing those marks should be involved in a development process linked to territorial quality, understanding that this is based on two main values:
Territorial quality: This is quality which goes beyond regulated quality and the Denominations of Origin and which also affect “territoriality”, as this is a new kind of solidary behaviour which gives priority to the quality of ties between people, territories, products, services (be they agricultural, craft, tourism or heritage), producers and consumers.
Sustainable development: Development involving a plurality of indivisible aspects (economic, social and cultural), and which take into account jointly the quantitative and the qualitative. This is development with a human dimension, respectful of cultural resources, understood for the territory as a dynamic equilibrium, sustainable between the environment and human activities, harmonious and favourable to personal health. At all levels of territorial organisation solidary participation by public officials, economic and social agents and their associations is fundamental in a collective and coherent project.
For a more detailed presentation of the ETQM initiative please read the General Regulation |
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