Geographic IndicatorsU.S. Congress Defends Naming Rights for U.S. Cheeses: September 29, 2010 55 members of the House Dairy Farmer Caucus (DFC) wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to urge a robust defense of America’s dairy industry against efforts by the European Union to claw back for its countries’ sole use several generic cheese names such as parmesan, provolone and feta, as well as other names of importance to the U.S. dairy industry. This bipartisan effort was led by Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Courtney from Connecticut; Devin Nunes from California; Tim Walz from Minnesota and Peter Welch from Vermont. The DFC applauded the dedicated efforts that the Trade Representative’s office has invested in this area, and stressed the importance of ensuring that as the United States exports more American-made cheeses, America must retain the right to use these common names that are so recognizable to consumers around the world. Read more from NMPF's press release on the issue.
International Dairy Organizations Dispute European GI Push: June 4, 2010 In a letter to trade representatives in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, NMPF, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC), and the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) expressed concern over the European Union's attempt to push the scope of protection for its Geographical Indications (GIs) beyond the realm of appropriate protection of product niches. This effort would allow the Europeans to appropriate for themselves many cheese names that are commonly used around the world, including in international trade. The letter urged the trade representatives to work together to combat the strong offensive by the EU that was poised to significantly impair current cheese exports and greatly limit the future global potential for all of our industries.
Joint NMPF/USDEC Comments to the European Union: August 29, 2008 NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) submitted joint comments to the European Union (EU) to protest the application of the terms "Edam Holland" and "Gouda Holland" for geographical indication or designation of origin status. The primary concern is that special protection of these well-established generic terms would hurt U.S. and other producers of these cheeses and establish a dangerous and unsettling precedent. Click on the links to view complete copies of the letters:
Letter to USTR Ambassador Schwab: April 3, 2008 As the Doha Round of trade negotiations in the WTO continued, NMPF submitted a joint letter (with other U.S. food producer and processor organizations) to U.S. Trade Ambassador Susan Schwab that expressed opposition to the European Union's demands for enhanced protections of geographical indications (GIs). |
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