Commission’s Midday Express (MEX/13/0514), 14 May 2013
A conference on the potential contribution of geographical indications ("GIs") to African, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) countries' economies is taking place in Brussels tomorrow. Participants will reflect on the existing global and regional legal frameworks for origin-branding for agricultural products and their effectiveness in protecting product value. Speaking ahead of the conference, EU Agriculture Dacian Cioloş said "For producers worldwide, geographical indications offer the chance to move away from anonymous and low-paying production chains. Across Asia and South America, producers are taking advantage of GI systems: these benefits must be extended to ACP countries". The event ("Geography of Food - Reconnecting with origin in the food system") is open to accredited journalists, and will also be webstreamed live.