Brexit: champagne, parmesan, prosecco and feta could soon be at the centre of negotiations

As Brexit day crepts closer, one issue that remained unresolved was the way that food names would be protected in Britain and the EU. From parmesan and feta to cornish pasties and Bavarian beer, the EU was fiercely protective over protected designations of origin (PDOs) or protected geographical indications (PGIs). As was the UK itself.

It was not a stretch to say that the entire Brexit deal could hinge on the issue of geographical indications. There was no doubt that providing a level of protection in the UK which was comparable to the current EU scheme – for example, via a mutual EU/UK recognition scheme – would facilitate an agreement not only on the specific issue of geographical names, but also of the entire Brexit deal. This would, however, make favourable trade agreements between the UK and the US less likely. The battle over geographical indications would surely go on.

• Primary Source

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

United Kingdom: House of Commons: Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee: 7th Report (2017-19) HC381: The impact of Brexit on the processed food and drink sector http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-impact-of-brexit-on-the-processed-food-and-drink-sector/

ESO: Find further information in ESO on UK farming post-Brexit http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=brexit%20after%20farmers%20&searchOption=all

NFU: Sectors: Food Chain: Food Chain News: Brexit: The Future of Protected Food Names, December 2016 https://www.nfuonline.com/sectors/food-chain/food-chain-news/brexit-the-future-of-protected-food-names/

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