Gian Marco Centinaio, Italian Minister for Agriculture and Food, is attending the European Council of Agriculture Ministers in Luxembourg. The discussion includes the proposal for a Council decision authorizing the European Commission to sign the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement as well as the Investment Protection Agreement (IPA). “We are expressing our concerns, in particular regarding the mechanism through which the protection of our Geographical Indications will be ensured – says Centinaio -. Should the outcome of this procedure not be fully satisfactory, Italy would be unable to secure its consent to the ratification”.
ITALIAN FOOD SEEKING PROTECTION IN SINGAPORE
Centinaio therefore called on the European Commission to continue its efforts, reiterating how essential it is for Italy to ensure that all the Geographical Indications are registered in Singapore as Geographical Indications with exclusive rights, without exception or limitation.