Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité

The National Institute of Origin and Quality is a public administrative institution, with civil status, under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. By the Agricultural Orientation Law of January 5, 2006, the INAO is responsible for the implementation of the French policy on products under official signs of identification of origin and quality. The Institute is headquartered in Paris and is supported by eight territorial units covering the entire territory of Metropolitan France.

The National Institute of Appellations of Origin of Wines and Spirits was created by the decree-law of July 30, 1935, concerning the defense of the wine market and the economic regime of alcohol.
 
Ordinance n° 2006-1547 of December 7, 2006, and Decree n° 2007-30 of January 5, 2007 update the missions and operating rules of the new National Institute of Origin and Quality, although the acronym INAO has been retained. 
 
INAO is globally responsible for the implementation of legislative and regulatory provisions relating to the signs of identification of quality and origin (SIQO) for agricultural products: appellations of controlled origin/protected designation (AOC/AOP), protected geographical indications (PGI), traditional specialties guaranteed (STG), red label (LR), and organic farming (AB).
 
As such, the INAO:

• proposes the recognition of products likely to benefit from quality and origin identification signs and the revision of their specifications;
• pronounces the recognition of the organizations which ensure the defense and the management of the products profiting from a sign of identification of the quality and the origin;
• defines the general principles of control and approves the control or inspection plans;
• pronounces the approval of the control bodies and ensures their evaluation;
• ensures the control of the respect of the specifications and, if necessary, takes the measures to sanction their disregard;
• gives its opinion on the provisions relating to the labelling and presentation of each of the products under its jurisdiction;
• can be consulted on any question relating to the signs of identification of the quality and the origin and can propose any measure contributing to the good functioning, the development or the valorization of a sign in a field;
• contributes to the defense and promotion of quality and origin identification signs both in France and abroad.

Broadly speaking, its operation is based on:
 
1) Deliberative bodies

• a permanent council, in charge of defining the general policy of the institute and the budget;
• national committees (5) in the different categories of products promoted, which bring together professionals in the field, involved in official signs of origin and quality, qualified personalities, as well as representatives of the administrations concerned.
  The wine sector has two national committees, one for appellations of origin for wines, alcoholic beverages and spirits, and one for PGIs for wines and ciders;
• an Approvals and Controls Council, competent for all signs of origin and quality.

2) Executive services (about 250 people), including

• a central service based in Montreuil (near Paris);
• eight territorial delegations, each with two to four local sites (for Gironde, the Bègles site).