No More Local Cognac After EU FTA?
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
There may soon come a time when you hold a glass of sparkling Champagne, that you will know it's from the French provincial wine district Champagne.
Geographical identification (GI), which restricts the usage of product names to those authentically produced in the place of origin, has risen as one of the key issues in the first round of the Korea-EU free trade talks that began Monday.
With the enforcement of GI status, domestic liquor players will no longer be able to use familiar names such as Cognac (a type of brandy produced in Cognac), Scotch Whiskey (made in Scotland) and Sherry Wine (produced in Spain) on locally-made alcohol products.
The EU has been pushing for exclusive rights to hundreds of wines, spirits and food products that are geographic-specific for years, and it is expected that the talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) would be no exception.
``Detailed discussion on GI has not been raised at this point, but considering the EU's track record of an aggressive approach to this matter with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the subject is bound to come up sooner or later,'' said Bae Jong-ha, the head of the International Agriculture Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
He added that the coming discussions would most likely focus on which products and names will be selected for banning.
``Goods that have been around for many years may be left off the restricted list,'' Bae said.
An official of local beverage producer Lotte Chilsung says there's no need to fret so early, adding ``depending on how the talks flow, domestic companies will make their move but it's too soon to say much.''
However, if the GI element is inked on the trade pact, it won't be a one-way deal, as Korean products also will be given equal protection.
Soonchang hot pepper paste and Boseong green tea are some of the famous names that were recently trademarked to their respective regions of production.
The first round of negotiations, discussing non-tariff barriers such as safety regulations on cars and intellectual property rights, is scheduled to end Friday.