ANU Centre for European Studies (ANUCES) Adjunct Associate Professor Hazel V. J. Moir has published this article in the Journal of World Trade 51, no. 6 (2017): 1021–1042, for Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands.

The article explores European Union (EU) policy on geographical indications (GIs) as expressed in the outcomes of EU trade negotiations. This empirical approach provides a factual basis about the GI deals that are acceptable to the EU. Across the EU’s six recent Global Europe treaties, the EU has achieved a good degree of success in obtaining strong-form GI rights (no use of -like, -style qualifiers on labels) for a number of specific products. The article also identifies GI outcomes in recent treaties driven by US negotiating demands. While US-driven treaties prioritise a trademark approach to GIs, they also allow for coexistence with EU-style strong-form GIs. Comparing these two sets of outcomes provides useful insights for future EU trade negotiations, such as the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US or the proposed Free Trade Agreement with Australia and New Zealand. In particular, the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) shows how the interests of domestic cheese and meat producers can be protected while allowing for strong-form GI privileges for a reasonable number (135 in CETA) of listed product names.

Download a PDF of the article (PDF121.45KB)

Article Reference: Moir, Hazel V. J. ‘Understanding EU Trade Policy on Geographical Indications’. Journal of World Trade 51,
no. 6 (2017): 1021–1042.© 2017 Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands