Abstract:

The European Union, a conglomerate of over 500 million consumers, is characterized by a diversity of local traditions. Preserving local specificity and nurturing diversity is supported by the European Community legislative regulations. Along with organic production, traditional production is part of theCommon Agricultural Policy. Traditional production is aligned with the aspirations of a sustainable reform process, a better protection of the environment and an efficient rural development. Romania is trying to make progress in an area where a long period tradition has not been emphasized at a national. Before 2013, the national legislation, which was relatively unclear in traditional food production, has allowed the registration of a large number of products declared traditional but obtained by industrial methods. The new legislative provisions regulate the traditional sector and offer the traditional character to the products required by consumers. Although historical conditions, the geographical environment, the demographic potential and the cultural heritage are favourable for the traditional product sector development, Romania is deficient in this respect as, at present, it has only one registered product at a European level. The article proposes an analysis of the national market traditional products in the European Community context, based on material provided by national and European Community statistics.