An agreement between the EU and China will protect 100 European IGs in the Asian country
The acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, on Thursday celebrated the agreement reached between the European Union (EU) and China. The agreement will protect 100 European geographical indications in the Asian country, upon its entry into force, of which 12 are Spanish. By the fourth year of application, the protection will be extended to 175 denominations and geographical indications, of which 36 are Spanish.
“It is a very important step forward in the protection of our quality declarations, in a market as important as China,” said the minister.
This bilateral agreement implies the protection against imitations and usurpation of 100 indications in China, for food and beverages with denominations of origin or protected geographical indications (PGI). Among that hundred are 8 wines (the denominations of origin Rioja, Cava, Catalunya, La Mancha, Valdepeñas, Jerez, Navarra and Valencia), 2 of olive oil (the protected designations of origin Sierra Mágina (Jaén) and Priego de Córdoba (Córdoba), 1 of spirits (the protected geographical indication Brandy de Jerez) and 1 of cheeses (the Manchego Cheese designation of origin).
The minister has positively assessed the achievement of this agreement, which will foreseeably come into force at the end of 2020, once the corresponding procedure has been passed in the European Parliament and in the Council of Ministers of the EU.
Planas has highlighted the great potential of the Chinese market for the agri-food sector, at a time when it is crucial to open markets. Economic development, urban development and growth, especially in the middle class in China, have meant a change in the demand for food in the Asian country.
On the other hand, the minister has emphasized the added value of food with geographical indications, especially for the rural environment, since figures of differentiated quality, which are present throughout the Spanish territory, stand as an element key in the development and sustainability policies of rural fabrics.
More protection in four years
Once the agreement enters into force, a list of 12 Spanish indications will have protection in China. By the fourth year of application, it will be extended to 36.
The list of 36 Spanish indications that will be protected in China, the fourth year after the agreement enters into force includes:
– Oil from Bajo Aragón, Ham and Paleta de Teruel (not Iberian), and wines from Somontano and Cariñena.
– Valencian Citrus, Jijona and Nougat Nougat from Alicante, and Alicante and Utiel-Requena wines
– Antequera, Baena, Estepa, Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra de Segura oils; the wines of Málaga and Manzanilla de Sanlúcar; Iberian ham and shoulder, Los Pedroches and Jabugo (supraautonomic), as well as Vinagre de Jerez.
-Saffron from La Mancha and Montes de Toledo and Campo de Montiel oils, in addition to Jumilla wine (its production area is also in Murcia).
-Wines of Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, and Guijuelo (ham and Iberian shoulder, suprautonomic).
-Hamón Dehesa de Extremadura
-Wines of Empordá, Penedés and Priorat, as well as Siurana (oil).
-Jumilla (wine, supra-autonomous denomination, since its production area is also in Albacete).
-Mahón-Menorca cheese (cheese)
-Rías Baixas wine (wine)
-Pacharán Navarro (spirit)
