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Agriculture and rural development
News article17 November 2022BrusselsDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

The EU protects 10 new geographical indications from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

‘Pitahaya Amazónica De Palora’, ‘Maní De Transkutukú’, and ‘Cacao Amazonas Perú’

The EU will protect ten new Geographical Indications (GIs) from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador under the Multiparty Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia/Ecuador/Peru. This decision was taken in the 9th meeting of the Trade Committee on 16 November in Quito, Ecuador. Representatives from the EU and the three Andean countries will further strengthen their cooperation and commitment to protect local knowledge and high quality food products, thereby contributing to stimulate rural development through the recognition of quality agricultural products, whose history is closely linked with specific regions.

The new protected terms refer to one product from Colombia, ‘Bocadillo Veleño’, a sweet delicacy made with guava pulp and sugar cane and wrapped in the leaves of the local bijao plant. From Ecuador, three new product terms will be protected: ‘Café de Galapagos’ (coffee beans), ‘Maní De Transkutukú’ (a peanut harvested by hand) and ‘Pitahaya Amazónica De Palora’ (fruit). Six Peruvian products will also be granted protection: ‘Aceituna de Tacna’ (olive), ‘Cacao Amazonas Perú’ (cacao), ‘Café Machu Picchu-Huadquiña’ (coffee beans grown close to the historical sites of Machu Picchu), ‘Café Villa Rica’ (coffee beans), ‘Loche de Lambayeque’ (a fruit used in sweet and salty preparations) and ‘Maca Junín Pasco’ (a plant product). These ten products will be protected in the EU against imitations and usurpation.

The trade agreement between the EU and Colombia and Peru has been provisionally applied since 2013. Ecuador joined in 2017. Agricultural trade between the EU and the three Andean Community countries has been growing steadily since the entry into force of the agreement granting each side preferential access to their respective agricultural markets. Under the deal, more than 10 GIs from the three Andean countries have been protected until now with 116 EU GIs also covered. The trade agreement makes it possible to continue protecting more agricultural products from both parties. To apply for protection, a product must first be recognised in its country under national legislation. Following a thorough assessment and the usual consultations of stakeholders, the Trade Committee in charge of following up the implementation of the agreement can formally sign the addition of the products in the agreement.

The EU is the third largest trade partner of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Half of their exports to the EU are agricultural products and close to 15% are fisheries products. The exported agricultural products consist mainly of bananas and other fruits, vegetables, coffee cocoa beans and cut flowers.

Background

EU quality schemes aim at protecting the names of specific products to promote their unique characteristics, linked to their geographical origin as well as traditional know-how. This is one of the great successes of European agriculture, with more than 3,300 EU names registered as either Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). More than 1,500 geographical indications originating outside the EU are currently protected within the EU, mostly thanks to bilateral agreements such as this one with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.

List of 10 new geographical indications from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador
Colombia
Bocadillo Veleño Fruit paste
Peru
Aceituna de Tacna Olive
Cacao Amazonas Perú Cacao
Café Machu Picchu-Huadquiña Coffee
Café Villa Rica Coffee
Loche de Lambayeque Fruit
Maca Junín Pasco Plant product
Ecuador
Café de Galapagos Coffee
Maní De Transkutukú Peanut
Pitahaya Amazónica De Palora Fruit

 

Details

Publication date
17 November 2022
Author
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Location
Brussels