10/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - Fekl pushes geographical indications in United States. Visiting California on Thursday 9 June, French Secretary of State for Trade Matthias Fekl made the case in the Napa Valley, California's famous wine-growing region, for recognition of French and EU designations of origin and geographical indications. Suggesting that the American trade mark system was poorly adapted, costly and difficult to access for EU companies, especially SMEs, Fekl backed the European system of protection of agri-food products in trade agreements, including in EU-US negotiations (TTIP). EU agri-food exports which have designation of origin or geographical indication protection amount to €15 billion per year worldwide. It is a system which operates to the benefit of more than just Europeans since some American products, such as Napa Valley wines, are recognised in Europe as having designation of origin or geographical indication protection, he pointed out. (EH)