Hungarian pálinka: PGI in the EU and Japan

Under the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan, 42 more EU and Japanese products have been added to the list of protected geographical indications (PGIs) in both regions, including Hungarian pálinka, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

According to the Brussels statement, this is the third time that the list of geographical indications protected in both Japan and the EU has been extended, following the addition of 56 geographical indications in February 2021 and 56 more in February 2022.

The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force on February 1, 2019, protects agri-food product names against imitation and misuse in both regions. The agreement will bring mutual commercial benefits to the parties and introduce consumers to authentic products from regions with rich culinary and cultural traditions, they said.

The EU and Japan have also agreed to add six more geographical indications from Japan to the list by the end of this year, and to decide on a further expansion of the list of protected geographical indications in 2025.

Japan is the fifth largest market for EU agri-food exports, according to the communication, and the main products exported by the EU to Japan include pork, as well as wines and other spirits, cigars and cigarettes, cheeses, chocolate and other confectionery and other processed agricultural products. The EU imports mainly soups and sauces, vegetable products and cereal products used as food ingredients from the Far East, the European Commission said.