EU seeks ruling on wine and spirits trademarks

The European Union is set to clash head on with new world wine and spirit producers over the use of geographic descriptions such as champagne, port, and cognac.

EU countries are finalising a list of almost 40 products which it wants the World Trade Organisation to protect. Along with 18 wine and spirit names the list includes foods such as stilton and mozzarella cheese.

Outside the EU, producers argue that the names are generic descriptions which, like hamburgers and frankfurters, have long since lost their link to their geographic roots.

The move would effectively 'trademark' the names for producers in the region of origin. The EU has already moved to protect many names with in its borders. Earlier this year, UK supermarket chain Asda lost a high profile court battle over parma ham, which under EU rule can only be used to describe ham sliced and packaged in the Parma region.

The EU says the names on its list, known as geographic indicators, are widely copied by producers outside Europe who want to cash in on the prestige of well known names.

Along with champagne, port, and cognac, the list of wine and spirits it want to protect includes, bordeaux, sherry, chianti, grappa, moselle, rioja and sauternes.

There are estimated to be thousands of non-EU producers currently using the names. Austraila's ambassador to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, David Spencer, argued that many producers have been using the descriptions since long before the concept of geographic indicators was legally recognised. He said the move would "extinguish the rights of producers in countries where these names are seen as generic terms, especially in the new world."

New world wine producers would not be prevented from using names which relate to grape varieties, such as chardonnay and merlot.