A discussion on creating a “Distilled in Bulgaria” standard took place in Kazanluk with the participation of Kazanluk municipality, the Institute of Roses, Essential and Medical Cultures and the Association of Essential Oil Producers, BNR’s Radio Stara Zagora reports.

• Council of EU accepts Bulgarian position in defense of rose oil

The efforts should continue to make sure that rose oil and the other essential oils are not treated as chemical products within the EU, the meeting agreed.

“We need to align the standards and to have a distillation guidebook so as to assert a high quality of distillation practices, with Bulgarian standard certificates. The distillery as a production unit is at the centre of our industry,” the Association stated, adding that it is their wish that “Distilled in Bulgaria” become a recognizable brand of the country. The Association agreed to have the Valley of Roses tourist region, which unites 19 municipalities with centre Kazanluk, as a collective member.