Successful start of training seminars in Tunis. "Institutional capacity building for legal protection of Mediterranean Diet"

The first training session in southern partner countries (Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon) expected by MedDiet project under Working Package n. 6 “Institutional capacity building for safeguarding the Mediterranean Diet” was celebrated by Prof. Pier Luigi Petrillo (Professor at Unitelma, La Sapienza University of Rome) on last 13th  and 14th of May in Tunis. The seminar has represented the beginning of a series of meetings targeted to 30 institutional representatives of each involved Med country concerning existent and effective policies and measures for safeguarding and promoting traditional products and Mediterranean Diet following to the European model. 

Further workshops will be held by the Italian expert in the above mentioned nations (n. two seminars each), with an agenda that foresee a first introductive session commencing in May (Tunisia and Egypt) and ending in June (Lebanon). In the same way, a second and final seminar will take place to study in depth specific aspects related to Mediterranean Diet and traditional products with particular focus on the notion of Mediterranean Diet, the UNESCO recognition of the same, denominations of origin (PDOs, PGIs and TSGs), Food Safety and Gastronomic tourism.

The issues and insights discussed during the seminars will result crucial for the formulation of one of the main MedDiet final outputs. Actually, three Project Work proposals at national level (Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon) concerning a legal framework for promoting and safeguarding Mediterranean Diet will be formulated. Furthermore, it is expected the elaboration of a parallel proposal regarding the same purpose at Euro-Mediterranean level.

At the same time, n. 90 institutional representatives of southern partner countries will participate to n. 3 European study-visits starting in Kalamata (16th-19th of June 2014), continuing in Rome (8th-11th of September 2014) and then finishing  in Cordoba (29th of September – 2nd of October). These “on-site” activities will strengthen the theoretic notions and contents acquired during the seminars through a practical experience that deepens the national applications of the Mediterranean Diet safeguarding in Greece, Italy and Spain.