29.11.2019

In November 2019, the European Union and China signed an agreement on the protection of geographical indications. Upon completion of ratification procedures, the agreement will enter into force at the end of 2020.

According to the agreement, the European Union will provide protection with 100 Chinese geographical indications in the EU, and China with 100 European ones.

Among them: Polish, Greek, Lithuanian, Swedish and Finnish vodkas, Cava, Champagne, Feta, Irish whiskey, Münchener Bier, Porto, Prosciutto di Parma. Chinese products include Bean pasta Pixian Dou Ban, white tea Anji Bai Cha, rice Panjin Da Mi, and ginger Anqiu Da Jiang.

More than half of the EU GI are for products originating in Italy and France (26 and 25, respectively).

Four years after the agreement enters into force, another 175 indications will be added to the list on each side.

The EU and China began cooperation in the protection of geographical indications in 2006 and identified the first 10 names in 2012, only in 2019 moving to a broader agreement.

In total, the EU has more than 3,300 registered geographical indications and provides protection to 1,250 names of goods originating from non-EU countries. In particular, in accordance with the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, the parties provide protection with all registered geographical indications on both sides.

According to the European Commission, a product with a geographical indication is on average 2.23 times more expensive than a similar product without such a designation. The entire market for goods with geographical indications in the European Union is estimated at almost 75 billion euros. 15.4% of EU food exports are goods with protected geographical indications.

China is the second-largest market for export of food products from the EU – almost 13 billion euros per year. 9% of this volume is products with protected geographical indications.