Hungarian pálinka has also been included in the list of protected geographical indications in both the EU and Japan

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to the announcement from Brussels, this is the third time that the list of protected geographical indications in both Japan and the EU has been expanded, after 56 geographical indications were added to the list in February 2021 and another 56 products in February 2022. The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement – which entered into force on February 1, 2019 – protects the names of agri-food products against imitation and illegal use of names in both regions. The agreement will bring mutual commercial benefits to the parties and introduce consumers to authentic products from regions with rich culinary and cultural traditions, they wrote.

The EU and Japan also agreed to add 6 more GIs to the list from Japan by the end of this year

In 2025, a decision will be made on further expansion of the list of protected geographical indications. According to the statement, Japan is the fifth largest market for exports of agri-food produced in the EU. The main EU exports to Japan include pork, as well as wines and other spirits, cigars and cigarettes, cheese, chocolate and other confectionery, and other processed agricultural products. The EU mainly imports soups and sauces, plant products, and grain preparations used as food raw materials from the Far Eastern country, the European Commission informed.

MTI