China-European Union (EU) Geographical Indications (GIs) Agreement took effect on March 1, 2021.

GI is the label used for identifying the geographical origin of a product, and is also an important type of intellectual property right .

It is China's first comprehensive, high-level bilateral agreement on GIs to effectively crack down on counterfeiting of GIs, so that consumers from China and the EU could buy authentic specialties of each other without worries about the inferior and fake goods. A total 275 GI products from both sides are on the protection list, involving liquor, tea, food and farm produce. Seven GI products from places across Hunan province were selected, including Anhua dark tea, Liuyang fireworks, Liling porcelain, Jiugui liquor, Guzhang Maojian tea, Yongfeng chili sauce, and Baojing Huangjin (golden) tea.

According to the agreement, 100 GIs including Anhua dark tea from each side came under protection on the same day. The second GI list, consisting of 175 GIs from each side, is set to go through protection procedures within the next four years.

Xiang Shuguang, director of the Hunan Provincial Market Supervision Administration, said that Hunan will continue to strengthen the cultivation of featured industries, promote Hunan products going global, and develop agriculture through patents, trademarks, and geographical indications. Efforts will be made to add more products to the GI list, to support rural vitalization and brand building. 

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn