Good practice:

Szekler Product Brand

Harghita county is a predominantly agricultural, rural region due to the economic activity among the county’s rural population is agriculture and SMEs in food sector.
One of Harghita County Council`s (HCC) priorities falls on helping and supporting people living in rural territories and local producers, contributing by this means to the creation of jobs and the preservation of the rural tourism. For reaching the set goals HCC initiated and developed the Szekler Product community trademark, efficiently representing and protecting the interests of local producers for their future well-being and promoting among citizens the benefit of consuming local and healthy food. HCC’s initiative regarding the Szekler Product trademark is a good example of how people in a community can overcome unfavourable global processes by creating a common and unique trademark for the products produced at local level.
The long-term objective of the initiative is to ensure that protected local products also comply with EU quality labels.
Nowadays the activities are implemented by Development Agency of Harghita County. More than 150 producers with more than 1000 products have the right to use the trademark. As for main stakeholders we can list: managing authorities for implementing EU funded projects related to local producers, Local Action Groups, Small producers cooperatives, SME`s incubator house, Sapientia University, as well as the consumers community.

Financial resources:
1. Own fund (2009-2020): 1.554.491,00 RON – 323.852 euros
2. EU funded projects: 500.537 euros
Human resources: min. 2 employees in full time job.

Quantitative results:
- more than 150 producers with more than 1000 products have the right to use the trademark;
- several local and traditional fairs are regularly organized yearly and monthly;
- presence of the local products on international fairs and exhibitions;
- development of the www.szekelytermek.ro website for online selling.

Qualitative results:
- appreciated national and international recognition/reputation

A one year long registration process of the trademark, mainly due to interinstitutional communication difficulties.

Harghita county is a predominantly agricultural, rural region. This is why, one of the significant economic activity among the county’s rural population is agriculture and SMEs in food sector. In order to promote their products and increase their sales was initiated the Szekler Product Brand. By supporting small and medium-sized farms and this kind of enterprises (SMEs), we also support the survival of the population in the countryside, the family farming model and the sustainability of rural life. Smaller farms are more dynamic, employ more people and are definitely more environment friendly.
Within our twinning cooperations with Hungarian counties, Bács-Kiskun and Békés, expressed their interest to adapt the Szekler Product Trademark movement in their regions, being a good practice on international level by this means.