The Diputació de Girona opens the seventh edition of the Girona Excel·lent seal

The Plenary of the Girona Provincial Council, in the session of September 15, 2026, has initially approved the rules for the 7th edition of the competition to obtain the Girona Excel·lent - Agro-Food Quality Seal brand (2027-2028). The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Girona no. 189, dated October 1, 2026, with the official reference BOP-2026_0_189_8372 (edict 8372, pp. 1-19). The rules are subject to public consultation for 20 business days, with the count beginning the day after publication in the DOGC.

The text was signed by Miquel Noguer Planas on September 22, 2026. If no allegations or claims are made during the public consultation period, the rules will be definitively approved. The competent body to approve the call is the Governing Board, while the processing of the file corresponds to the Presidency’s Office and the final resolution to the president of the corporation.

A blind tasting competition with seventeen categories

The procedure is a public call and competitive tender, with sample comparison using the blind tasting technique and standardized sensory analysis criteria. The competition is organized into seventeen categories, including:

• Mineral waters, rice, and local drinks
• Coffees and aromatic herbs, sweet preserves, and gastronomic preparations
• Semi-preserves, cured meats, dried fruit, and foie gras
• Biscuits, ice creams and sorbets, dairy products, olive oil, and honey
• Wines and fortified wines, and chocolate (from bean to bar)

Each category is expanded into specific subcategories and includes a category for Singular Specialties, of an exceptional nature and restrictive application. The recognition can only be awarded to a single product per category or subcategory: ex aequo recognitions or runners-up cannot be granted, and the jury may declare categories void as it determines.

Requirements for producers and qualifying jury

Companies and producers legally constituted and established in the Girona demarcation that are engaged in the preparation, production, or packaging of products from the called sectors may participate. The main requirements are:

• Registration in the Health Registry of Food Industries and Products of Catalonia (RSIPAC) or the corresponding registry
• 100% preparation, production, and packaging in the counties of Girona
• Product available on the market, packaged and labeled according to sectoral regulations; bulk products are not accepted
• An independent application for each subcategory

Business associations and federations, professional guilds, and other non-profit groupings are excluded. Participation is free of charge. The qualifying commission or jury will generally consist of five people appointed from among chefs, sommeliers, technicians and specialists in gastronomy, specialized journalists, food trade professionals, and hospitality teachers, and may be expanded up to ten members if the number of admitted products requires it.

Twenty-four months of promotion without financial endowment

The companies responsible for the selected products may benefit from the Girona Excel·lent program for twenty-four months. The services include the use of the brand on all graphic and commercial media, appearance in promotional materials, communication and advertising campaigns, participation in specialized fairs and events, training, and business networking. The award has no financial endowment and is compatible with any other award or grant granted by administrations other than the Diputació de Girona.

Beneficiaries must assign the image rights of the awarded product to the Diputació, communicate any alteration of technical conditions and price, attend monitoring meetings, and provide the organization with the product at cost price for demonstration and tasting actions. Failure to comply with these obligations may lead to exclusion from the program. Once the award has been communicated, if the beneficiary does not state otherwise within fifteen days, it is understood that they accept it.

The applicable legal framework is the General Subsidy Ordinance of the Diputació de Girona, Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies, and Royal Decree 887/2006, of July 21. The selected products will be announced at a public event in the presence of the media, and the Diputació guarantees the confidentiality of the participating companies that are not awarded.

The call reaches the agri-food producers and companies of the district at a key moment for planning the production of the 2027-2028 campaign: the seal is a tool for commercial positioning and access to institutional promotion actions, fairs, and business networking, and the 20-business-day public information period is the only window to submit allegations before final approval.

Fuente: Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Girona, núm. 189, 1 d’octubre de 2026, Administració local - Diputació de Girona, pàg. 1-19 (referència oficial: BOP-2026_0_189_8372).