Inside U.S. Trade reports TPP agreement on geographical indicators
August 21, 2015 |05:12 PM
Trans-Pacific Partnership countries last month reached a tentative agreement on disciplines for geographical indicators that would require TPP countries seeking to protect new GIs to subject them to a domestic consultation process, but would exclude from that requirement any GIs protected under international agreements already in force or already negotiated, Inside U.S. Trade reported today.
The agreement “represents a partial victory for the United States, Australia and New Zealand,” which are trying to counter the European Union push to protect names for cheeses and other food products, Inside U.S. Trade said, citing informed sources.
Mexico, Chile, Canada and Vietnam, all of which have free-trade agreements with the European Union, would be able to continue their GI protections, but it is unclear what would happen with them in free-trade agreements between the European Union and Japan and Malaysia, which the subject of current negotiation.
The agreement obligated the TPP countries “to provide a domestic consultation process that would allow stakeholders to oppose an application for GI protection, but so far does not include the U.S. goal of a process by which stakeholders could petition to cancel an existing GI, Inside U.S. Trade said.
The United States and the European Union plan to hold their next negotiating round on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Oct. 19 to 23 in Miami, Inside U.S. Trade also reported. GI protection is one of the most controversial issues in those negotiations.
The agreement “represents a partial victory for the United States, Australia and New Zealand,” which are trying to counter the European Union push to protect names for cheeses and other food products, Inside U.S. Trade said, citing informed sources.
Mexico, Chile, Canada and Vietnam, all of which have free-trade agreements with the European Union, would be able to continue their GI protections, but it is unclear what would happen with them in free-trade agreements between the European Union and Japan and Malaysia, which the subject of current negotiation.
The agreement obligated the TPP countries “to provide a domestic consultation process that would allow stakeholders to oppose an application for GI protection, but so far does not include the U.S. goal of a process by which stakeholders could petition to cancel an existing GI, Inside U.S. Trade said.
The United States and the European Union plan to hold their next negotiating round on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Oct. 19 to 23 in Miami, Inside U.S. Trade also reported. GI protection is one of the most controversial issues in those negotiations.
