EU, U.S. Agree on Geographically-Based Food Names

WASHINGTONAfter three years of negotiations, the United States and the European Union have resolved a fight over protections for geographically-based food names that were holding up the approval of the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a new international pact to fight growing trade in counterfeit goods.

As reported by Reuters, the obstacle was a long-running battle between the United States and the EU over the right to use European place names, like Champagne, Parma or Roquefort, for some of the world's most popular foods and beverages. U.S. business groups worried that the EU's demand to cover "geographical indicators" in the pact could mean U.S. products as commonplace as Kraft parmesan cheese could be treated as illegal items and subject to customs seizures

ACTA participants included Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU) represented by the European Commission and the EU Presidency (Belgium) and the EU Member States, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

The pact does not require approval from Congress, and it is ultimately up to the Obama Administration to decide whether to sign the agreement.