The Name Game

EU wants to protect the names of its traditional products

Following up on its move to link the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on agriculture to the issue of protection of its products on the basis of their geographical origin (See Down To Earth: Vol. No. ), the EU has reportedly come up with an indicative list of brands it would like protected. It now plans to take this list to the upcoming WTO ministerial in Cancun, Mexico, this September.

"The WTO rules provide for insufficient protection (for geographical indications or GIs)," argues the European Commission (EC) in a press note. GI protection is given to brands originating from a particular region if the quality of and the consumer preference for the product are associated with that region. But, in the WTO's Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement, protection is restricted to wines and spirits only. "Our efforts to compete on quality would be futile if the main vehicle of our quality products, GIs, are not adequately protected in international markets," the note adds.

The list of 35 names drawn up by the EU includes mostly wines and spirits but also includes some meat products and cheeses as well , such as Parma ham originating in Italy and Roquefort cheese in France. The rationale for the protection of these products seems legitimate. For instance, Italian producers have to call their 'Parma ham' as 'N. 1 ham' in Canada and cannot even sell their ham in Mexico despite the Parma ham denomination dating back to Roman times used in Italy more than 2000 years ago. The estimated loss in these markets alone is 3.5 million euros (US $3.96 million).

The list has also kicked up some controversy within the EU itself. Greece is believed to be extremely unhappy after none of its products made it to the list. It is keen to push for the inclusion of its Feta cheese. This may not find favour with the Danes as the Danish government has defended its Feta cheese industry in the past against Greek attempts to ban the use of the term outside its territory. France also wants seven additional products to be included apart from the 12 it already has on the list. There is however very little time for the members to settle their differences as the deadline to include their products ends mid-August.

The big fight however lies ahead with the US, Canada and Australia. They argue that immigrants from the original regions have produced these food and drinks in their regions for generations and view the EU move merely as an attempt to divert attention from the main objective of the agriculture negotiations - improving market access and reducing subsidies. 

Box: List of products

Wines and spirits: 
Bordeaux 
Bourgogne 
Chablis 
Champagne 
Chianti 
Cognac 
Grappa (di Barolo, del Piemonte, di Lombardia, del Trentino, del Friuli, del Veneto, dell'Alto Adige) 
Graves 
Malaga 
Marsala 
Madeira 
Medoc 
Moselle 
Porto 
Rhin 
Rioja 
Sauternes 
Sherry 
Meats: 
Jambon de Bayonne 
Prosciutto di Parma 
Prosciutto di San Daniele 
Cheese: 
Asiago 
Danablu 
Fontina 
Gorgonzola 
Grana Padano 
Manchego 
Mozzarella di Bufala Campagna 
Neufchatel 
Parmiggiano Reggiano 
Pecorino Romano 
Reblochon 
Roquefort 
Stilton