Ahead of tomorrow’s June European Council Summit, European spirits producers urge EU & UK negotiators to make effective progress on key separation issues, notably on the continued protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) in the Withdrawal Agreement.
“GIs are a key pillar, asset and facilitator of trade in high-value spirits,” said Ulrich Adam, Director-General of SpiritsEurope.
Mutual Protection
Adam outlined that an agreement on the mutual protection of EU and UK GIs in the Withdrawal Agreement in June is critical to allow the success story of European spirits’ production to continue and to ensure high-quality products can be delivered to consumers.
“This is particularly true for the three much-cherished All-Ireland GIs: Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream Liqueur and Irish Poitin,” he added.
Earlier this month the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) announced that Irish whiskey, Irish cream liqueur and poitín are now officially protected at an EU level in a similar manner to Champagne in France or Parma ham in Italy.
“Irish whiskey, cream liqueur and poitín are of significant value to the all-island economy. It is estimated that in 2018 nearly a quarter of a billion (250,000,000) bottles of Irish GI spirits will be sold globally, representing over a billion euro in exports from the island of Ireland,” said Patricia Callan Director of ABFI.
As proposed in February 2018, the European Commission’s draft language in the Withdrawal Agreement on GIs would require the UK to provide at least the same level of protection for EU GIs as they hold today.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
