DEFRA seek views on Geographical Indications ahead of trade meetings - Deadline 28 Oct 22

12 Oct 2022

Following the signature of trade agreements, the UK Government holds meetings regularly with its trading partners. These provide an opportunity to raise any difficulties stakeholders have encountered, and in some cases to suggest further Geographical Indications for protection under the agreement.

You can search here for fruit and vegetables which may have GI's associated with the countries below:

Protected geographical food and drink names - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Committees or other meetings with the following countries are anticipated to take place in the next six months:

1. SACUM (Southern African Customs Union Member States and Mozambique)

The countries covered by this agreement are: (Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa)

2. Central America

The Central American countries covered by this agreement are: (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama)

3. Georgia

4. South Korea

5. Moldova

6. Switzerland

7. Turkey

8. Egypt

9. Andean Countries

10. Canada

The UK is also launching negotiations with a view to agreeing a new trade deal with Israel.

DEFRA are requesting views on whether there are any issues which need to be raised in discussions with these countries. In particular, in cases where a GI is protected under the trade agreement:

• Are you facing any obstacles or problems in having that protection recognised with the country in question?
• Have you encountered any problems with enforcement of the GI in the country in question?

They are interested in your views on whether there are other GIs which we should suggest for protection under each trade agreement, if the circumstances are right to put forward ambitious asks. They are also particularly interested in any evidence you can forward about which GIs should be prioritised for protection. Evidence to support the following points will be particularly useful:

• The GI’s current export value/volume to the country in question.
• Opportunity in the export markets in question (e.g. forecasted value, consumer demand, market growth);

• Unfair practice occurring in the countries in question affecting the product (e.g. misuse of the product name/ reputation).

While evidence that GIs are already exporting to the market in question is valuable, thye are interested in evidence about changes in market access, growth in demand, or changing consumer tastes which suggest that protecting a GI would increase its export opportunities in the future.  Please note, DEFRA cannot guarantee the proposal or inclusion of any GIs.

Please forward any comments to kshields@freshproduce.org.uk by 28th October 2022 to allow responses to be co-ordinated and returned in time for the deadline.