Gi Agreement Eu China

A GI is a distinctive sign used for products with a specific geographical origin and possessing characteristics or reputation due to that origin. The EU-China Agreement will therefore offer important protection of the intellectual property rights of products: it protects from the translation, transcription or transliteration and use of protected geographical indications, accompanied by expressions such as „type“, „style“, „imitation“ or others, in respect of a non-originating product. Both China and the EU are keen to create new trade opportunities together, and the agreement hopes the deal will boost sales of EU products in China and Chinese products in EU countries. Geographical indications have also proven to be a useful marketing tool that helps to ensure higher and more stable export earnings for producers: according to a study commissioned by the Commission in 2013, a geographical indication product is sold on average more than twice as much as a similar non-geographical product. In addition, China is a potential high-growth market for European food and beverages. This agreement will therefore benefit European producers and should give a boost to the rural areas where these products are manufactured. This is the first major bilateral trade agreement signed between the EU and China. But simply accepting that a given product is geographically identified does not mean that all counterfeits will cease. And the agreement BETWEEN the EU and China is not yet final.