US Dairy Producers Rail Against Geographical Indications in EU, Canada Pact
The geographical indication (GI) provisions in the European Union-Canada free trade agreement are likely to restrict Canadian market access for American cheeses, said three U.S. dairy groups in a Sept. 29 statement. Canada and the EU published the text of…
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the agreement on Sept. 26 (here). In contrast to Canadian intellectual property laws, the pact gives “automatic protection” for EU producers to exclusively use “asiago,” “feta,” “fontina,” “gorgonzola” and “munster,” said the statement. “The automatic protection for five cheese names that are generic in Canada, the U.S. and globally is another example of the EU’s overreach on geographical indications,” said Clay Hough, senior group vice president of the International Dairy Foods Association. “The EU’s GI strategy is incompatible with the fundamental goal of a trade negotiation, which is to remove trade barriers — not add them — and allow for greater competition.” U.S. industry leaders and lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the EU for its GI policies, calling for the Obama administration to address the issue in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations (see 14061128).