Press Release: WTO and agriculture: EU wants WTO to tackle pirating names of quality food

At the third Special Session meeting of the WTO Committee on Agriculture, held in Geneva on 23-27 September 2001, the European Union tabled two proposals, one on the protection of geographical indications and the other on the 'green box' measures.

The EU proposes that an appropriate protection mechanism should be put in place to safeguard quality of food for consumers where the food in question is associated with a geographical area, such as Parma ham or Champagne. The second EU paper stresses that the current 'green box' provisions have contributed to implementation of policies to protect the environment and to help preserve the viability of rural areas. According to the EU, new green box measures should also cover concerns such as animal welfare, without distorting trade.

European Commission: DG Trade: Creating opportunities: Economic sectors: Agriculture http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/economic-sectors/agriculture/

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