TOKYO, July 9 — Tokyo and Brussels have agreed to mutually protect their specialty food names under the geographical indications (GI), one of EU’s key offensive interests, in the Japan-EU trade agreement. Both aim to help farmers exclusively market their products.
This will be the first case for Japanese specialty food and beverages to be granted full GI protection in the overseas market.
GI is a rule that requires products to come from particular geographical areas and meet various quality criteria in order to be called by its name. Once granted, it allows for regional producers to monopolize the use of famous area names, while other producers have to alter the names of their products.
Tokyo will submit Brussels a list of GI products for 31 agricultural products such as Kobe beef and Yubari melon, as well as 8 alcoholic beverages like Japanese sake and Yamanashi wines.
In turn, Tokyo agreed to grand higher level of GI protection to 71 agricultural products as well as 139 wine and other alcoholic beverages originating in Europe.