28 May Brussels. The European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW), the Brussels-based organisation representing Geographical Indications (GIs) wines, welcomes the positive outcome of today’s vote in the European Parliament’s international trade (INTA) committee on MEP Lange’s report on the TTIP calling for a greater protection of GIs.
EFOW is very satisfied with the result of today’s vote in the INTA committee on the report of MEP Lange concerning the European Parliament recommendations to the Commission for the negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement with the US. The call for an ambitious agreement which includes a greater protection and recognition of our GIs is a fundamental issue for the EU wine sector since the US is by far our leading destination country.
Nowadays, European GI wines suffer from usurpation and abuse of reputation in the US market. In particular, American wine producers use a number of our most prestigious GI names to label their products given that the US considers some of our GI names as semi-generics (i.e. Burgundy, Claret, Chablis, Champagne, Chianti, Malaga, Marsala, Madeira, Moselle, Port, Rhine wine, Sauterne, Haut Sauterne, Sherry, Tokay etc.).
EFOW’s President, Riccardo RICCI CURBASTRO, believes that ‘’today’s vote is important since it gives the Commission a clear indication of where the INTA committee stands and what it must deliver if it wishes the agreement to pass the European Parliament’s scrutiny. The abuses of our GI wines have a strong adverse economic impact at these negotiations represent a real opportunity to put an end to this’’. Moreover, he adds that ‘’he hopes this vote will be confirmed by the Plenary vote next month’’.
Contacts:
EFOW – 0032 2 733 50 60
CNAOC – +33 426 12 125
FEDERDOC – +39 06 44 250 589
CECRV – +34 661 58 66 14
IVDP – +35 1 222 071 647