(European Voice)
Karel De Gucht, the European trade commissioner, has declared his readiness to walk away from international talks on an anti-counterfeiting pact if it does not include the EU’s list of protected products such as champagne and Parma ham.
De Gucht told MEPs during a debate on Wednesday (8 September) on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) that the EU had to have the so-called geographic indicators (GI) included in the final deal.
The United States is blocking the EU’s request to include GIs in the accord and De Gucht said negotiations on the issue during the last round of talks in Washington, DC, last month were “disappointing”. The issue is threatening to become the main stumbling-block to completing a deal. Read more here.
Related: Talks On Anti-Counterfeiting Agreement Must Be More Transparent, Say Meps (European Parliament)
