EU fears influx of 'British champagne' once Brexit ends food naming rules

[garbon]

I know this could have gone in Brexit thread, but I know some members of the board would be very interested to hear about the possible existence of 'British (or English) champagne'

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/15/eu-fears-influx-of-british-champagne-once-brexit-ends-food-naming-rules

Exclusive: Leaked paper shows concern firms could violate protections given to EU foodstuffs while UK products retain status

The European Union is concerned that British companies could violate protections given to the names of thousands of European products – such as parma ham and champagne – while the protected status of foodstuffs such as West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese is retained after Brexit.

The European commission has given "geographical indication" (GI) status to 1,150 products, meaning companies can only use the name of a locality in their marketing if the product is from that area.

When the UK leaves the EU, it will no longer need to abide by the directives and could, for example, rename some English sparking wine as English champagne, or ham as English parma ham.

A document from the European parliament's agriculture committee, which is advising the chamber's leaders on the Brexit negotiations, says: "As things currently stand, the UK has 59 such registered names [out of a total of 1,150 at EU level], including e.g. Lakeland Herwick Meat, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese, West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin [sea trout], and [economically important] Scotch Whisky.

"The question of what will happen to EU GIs after the withdrawal of the UK is a difficult one.

"If no arrangements to another effect are made, the protection afforded by the above-mentioned legislation would normally cease to apply in the UK, which means that over a thousand European registered names could be exposed to violation in this neighbouring country of the EU27 [while paradoxically the 59 UK names would remain protected in the EU if the commission decisions granting this protection are not repealed]."

The document drawn up by MEPs warns: "In the hypothesis where the UK, as a third country, would enter into a new relationship with the EU27 based on a free trade agreement it would be important therefore to include a mutual recognition of GIs in such an agreement on the model."

The leaked analysis also says Britain's withdrawal from the EU will leave a large hole in the budget of the Common Agricultural Policy, which pays farmers across the continent billions of euros in subsidies.

The document says: "It is obvious that the Brexit will lead to a significant gap in the financing of the CAP once the UK contributions, on the one hand, and the expenditures related to British agriculture on the other hand have been removed."

The committee says the cost will be "somewhere between €1.2bn and €3.1bn if the EU wants to maintain current spending levels for the remaining 27 member states".

MEPs are also concerned that the UK's withdrawal will impact on current free trade deals, as the size of the European market available to firms in third countries would be reduced. "The departure of the UK might somehow disrupt the economic balance on the basis of which these agreements were concluded," they write. "For example, the third countries concerned might legitimately complain about a unilateral reduction by the EU of the size of the market to which they have been given access."

The MEPs suggest the UK will need to maintain EU standards during any transitional period before a free trade agreement can be struck. There is particular concern that the UK will jeopardise any such deal if, as some on the right of the Conservative party have advocated, it accepts the production of genetically modified food or adopts the US method of cleaning chicken carcasses with strongly chlorinated water.

It says: "If, for example, the UK was tempted after its withdrawal from the EU, to take a different approach to GMOs or chlorinated chickens [as we have read might be the case] this would considerably complicate its trade with the EU 27."

However, the MEPs appear to take solace in the suggestion that the British government will be unable to take advantage of third countries seeking other options. They write: "One may wonder, in particular, whether the UK will have the sheer capacity to handle so many urgent trade negotiations in parallel with a national administration which has lost the experience and knowhow of such negotiations since the mid 1970s."

[Tamas]

I think, rather, British firms will just start freely labelling their crap "prosecco" and sell it on their own market.

[Josquius]

I think, rather, British firms will just start freely labelling their crap "prosecco" and sell it on their own market.

I first heard of prosecco just this past Christmas.
It was explained to me as like champagne but cheaper,  "because there's a law against calling the cheap ones champagne now"  😂

[Grey Fox]

Good.

[Gups]

I think, rather, British firms will just start freely labelling their crap "prosecco" and sell it on their own market.

I first heard of prosecco just this past Christmas.
It was explained to me as like champagne but cheaper,  "because there's a law against calling the cheap ones champagne now"  😂

It's not at all like champagne. Secondary fermentation takes place in tanks rather than in the bottle. Prosecco is much sweeter than bottle fermented wines.

Cava and English sparking wine both use the same method as champagne and can taste similar although cava uses different grapes.

There's no way that current English producers would use proseccu on their labels. English sparklers are much better (and much more expensive) than proseccos. The label would push the brand downmarket while not being able to compete on price.

I don't think they would call their wines champagne either. English sparkling wine has improved massively over the last 10-15 years and is in the same market as champagne but has to differentiate from it.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm not sure whether the non-Brits are clear on the distinction between British wine and English wine.

English wine is produced from grapes grown here in England and is high cost and pretty high quality. British wine is produced from imported grape concentrates and is cheap and, essentially, bilgewater.

English wine production is very small, about 5m bottles in 2015, they are trying to carve out their own distinctive niche in the wine world which would support the high prices they need to charge.

[garbon]

I think, rather, British firms will just start freely labelling their crap "prosecco" and sell it on their own market.

I first heard of prosecco just this past Christmas.
It was explained to me as like champagne but cheaper,  "because there's a law against calling the cheap ones champagne now"  😂

le sigh.

[garbon]

I'm not sure whether the non-Brits are clear on the distinction between British wine and English wine.

English wine is produced from grapes grown here in England and is high cost and pretty high quality. British wine is produced from imported grape concentrates and is cheap and, essentially, bilgewater.

English wine production is very small, about 5m bottles in 2015, they are trying to carve out their own distinctive niche in the wine world which would support the high prices they need to charge.

I see. Interesting. I had my team looking at various prices at Harvey Nicks's site this morning.

[Gups]

I'm not sure whether the non-Brits are clear on the distinction between British wine and English wine.

English wine is produced from grapes grown here in England and is high cost and pretty high quality. British wine is produced from imported grape concentrates and is cheap and, essentially, bilgewater.

English wine production is very small, about 5m bottles in 2015, they are trying to carve out their own distinctive niche in the wine world which would support the high prices they need to charge.

I don't think I've seen British wine for years. Is it still made?

Should also distinguish between English sparkling wine (which is very good and competitive with champagne at the £25-£40 price range) and English still wine (which can be quite good but really isn't good value for money)

[Richard Hakluyt]

@Gups - I haven't seen it for years but then I've not been looking 

This article confirms that it is still a thing though :

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-wine-made-from-important-grapes-tesco-lidl-asda-wine-industry-a7066286.html


Given our tax and duty regime for wine it really does not make sense to go too cheap.

[Zoupa]

Oh noes. We are shivering in fear of the English "wine" invasion.

[Zanza]

I don't get the supposed concern here. The EU regulates its own market and if Britain is outside of that market that still means that Britain has to adhere to the EU rules if they want to sell something in the EU single market. Among those regulation is the EU PDO, PGI and TSG designations. If Britain wants to sell their sparkling wine as English champagne in Britain after Brexit there is not much the EU can do about it (short of a new bilateral agreement on that), but it can regulate what may be called champagne in the single market. It's also covered by the WTO TRIPS rules...

[The Larch]

I don't get the supposed concern here. The EU regulates its own market and if Britain is outside of that market that still means that Britain has to adhere to the EU rules if they want to sell something in the EU single market. Among those regulation is the EU PDO, PGI and TSG designations. If Britain wants to sell their sparkling wine as English champagne in Britain after Brexit there is not much the EU can do about it (short of a new bilateral agreement on that), but it can regulate what may be called champagne in the single market. It's also covered by the WTO TRIPS rules...

I was thinking something similar. Once they're out they can call their wine however they want internally. If they want to have access to the EU's single market it's a different thing, but with a hard Brexit as the most likely outcome then they can churn out as much "British champagne" as they want, for sale only in the UK.

[garbon]

I don't get the supposed concern here. The EU regulates its own market and if Britain is outside of that market that still means that Britain has to adhere to the EU rules if they want to sell something in the EU single market. Among those regulation is the EU PDO, PGI and TSG designations. If Britain wants to sell their sparkling wine as English champagne in Britain after Brexit there is not much the EU can do about it (short of a new bilateral agreement on that), but it can regulate what may be called champagne in the single market. It's also covered by the WTO TRIPS rules...

I imagine people who care about such place origin names are concerned around branding and even though it can't be marketed in the EU, it'll still diminish the 'brand image.'

[Duque de Bragança]

I know this could have gone in Brexit thread, but I know some members of the board would be very interested to hear about the possible existence of 'British (or English) wine'

Fixed!