A project aiming at ensuring
protection of 10 famous EU food names in China, the biggest consumer
market in the world, has now been finalised. "Grana Padano", "Prosciutto di Parma" and "White Stilton cheese" / "Blue Stilton cheese"
were the last of 10 EU names that have been protected as Geographical
Indications in China as part of the so-called "10+10 project". In
parallel, the European Commission has examined and registered 10 Chinese
food names with the last 2 Chinese names "Pinggu da Tao" (peach) and "Dongshan Bai Lu Sun"
(asparagus) receiving protected status in the EU as Geographical
Indications. These 10 Chinese names have been added to the more than
1000 names of agricultural products and foodstuffs, which are protected
in the EU (among them 13 non-EU GIs). Not only does the GI system
provide an important protection against imitations, but it is also known
to be a useful marketing tool.
Commissioner Cioloş welcomed the completion of the project: "The
EU and China have rich traditions in the production of quality
products, and the GI system is a good way of highlighting these regional
traditions to consumers. China is a key future export market for EU
food products. The completion of the 10+10 is an important step in the
process towards a better protection in China of EU Geographical
Indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs. We are now looking
to build on this success through negotiating a broader bilateral
agreement on GIs, which we hope to conclude in the course of 2013."
Background
The pilot project started in July 2007 when both the EU (European Commission) and China (AQSIQ1)
formally lodged applications for the protection of 10 agriculture GIs
in each other's territories. Since then, each of the Chinese GIs has
undergone examination, including the right of any interested party to
oppose registration. While the geographical indications systems are
similar, significant differences in procedures and linguistic problems
had to be overcome. The process was given an additional boost when EU
Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloș visited China in 2010, including a
trip to see the production of Longjing Tea.
In terms of value, China is among the 5
most important export markets of EU GI products (agricultural products,
foodstuffs, wines and spirits). In 2010 the total value of GI exports to
China amounted to more than € 650 million2.
Wines and spirits represent the biggest part in terms of value:
between 2005 and 2010 the exports of EU GI wines and spirits to China
increased fourfold, i.e. by more than 400%.
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