The EU and China concluded the negotiations on a bilateral agreement to protect 100 European Geographical Indications (GI) in China and 100 Chinese GI in the EU against imitations and usurpation, according to an announcement on Wednesday, ANA reports.
China is the second destination for EU agri-food exports, reaching € 12.8 billion (in the 12-month period between September 2018 and August 2019). It is also the second destination of EU exports of products protected as Geographical Indications, accounting for 9% of its value, including wines, agri-food products, and spirit drinks.
The Chinese market is a high-growth potential market for European food and drinks, with a growing middle class with a taste for iconic, high-quality and genuine European products. It also has a well-established geographical indication system of its own, with specialties that European consumers could now further discover due to this agreement.
The EU list of GI to be protected in China includes products such as Cava, Champagne, Feta, Irish whiskey, M?nchener Bier, Ouzo, Polska W?dka, Porto, Prosciutto di Parma, and Queso Manchego. Among the Chinese products, the list includes, for example, Pixian Dou Ban (Pixian Bean Paste), Anji Bai Cha (Anji White Tea), Panjin Da Mi (Panjin rice) and Anqiu Da Jiang (Anqiu Ginger).
The agreement is expected to enter into force before the end of 2020.
Four years after its entry into force, the scope of the agreement will expand to cover an additional 175 GI names from both sides.
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