Brussels, 18/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 17 June, the European Commission reiterated the importance of protecting the geographical indications of EU agricultural products in the framework of negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the EU and the United States, known as the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP).
Following a meeting in Brussels with the American Secretary of State for Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, on Tuesday 17 June, European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos told the press: “Of course we discussed geographical indications, it's not something new, you know that, for the EU, GIs are very important in the process of TTIP (negotiations), as we have already seen in other negotiations”. The commissioner appreciates the fact that Vilsack “accepted to discuss this”. “I am also aware of the fact that we need to make an effort and to explain what geographical indications are and what geographical indications are not, in order to eliminate some worries that can exist in the US about this”, Ciolos said. He went on to stress that “it is why our intention in the future is to start a process of explanation, of discussion, before going into real negotiations”.
Vilsack agreed that, in some cases, the two sides have different approaches on how to meet certain challenges. “I expressed an understanding for why this is an important issue for the EU. It is also an important issue to the USA”. “Our system is a trademark system, it is different obviously from the European system. The question is can we get a better understanding of the process that we have to go through to get a GI designation”, he stated. He said that both sides should be creative in seeking a solution.
Vilsack was invited to a working lunch with the EU agriculture ministers, in Luxembourg on Monday 16 June, and most of the EU countries raised the subject of geographical indications. “The EU does not see how we could have an agreement without geographical indications being part of that agreement”, Ciolos stressed, in Luxembourg on Monday.
The United States has just finalised a new Farm Bill and the EU has just adopted the reform of the common agriculture policy (CAP) and “we concluded today that we should do more in order to have a better understanding about the different way we do the same things”, Ciolos said on Tuesday, after his meeting with the American. Ciolos said that he was convinced after these discussions that “we cannot do these negotiations of TTIP without having a better understanding of the realities and if we do this, then it will be easier then to solve some of the challenges ahead of us in these negotiations”. He then sought to reassure European citizens about the outcome of the transatlantic negotiations. “Our citizens can be quite confident - we will not embark on an agreement which lowers the standards which they expect for their food. We must do more to explain this. We must not allow a feeling to develop that we are negotiating secretly between closed doors”, the commissioner concluded.
The most sensitive agricultural subjects of the TTIP are hormone beef and genetically modified crops, products for which the EU rules are considerably tighter than those of the US. The European Union has banned the import of meat from hormone-treated animals and does not wish to open its doors to GMOs.
On these conflicting issues, Vilsack said that a common goal had to be found, specifically opening markets and eliminating non-scientific barriers. “Science is a common language. We will be working towards making sure that whatever agreements are reached, they are consistent with sound science”, he told the press on Monday in Luxembourg.
Exports of beef to the USA. An agreement has been concluded between the EU and the USA for European exports of beef to the United States to resume. However, the process is taking time. In response to a question from a journalist in Brussels on Tuesday, Vilsack said that “two countries, the Netherlands and Ireland, have concluded the process whereby the USA carries out an inspection on issues related to food safety” (before authorising imports of beef). The United States called on the other EU countries to follow the same procedure. (LC)