Actes et contributions > Par intervenant > Moir Hazel V J

It is important for those considering registering a Geographical GI that they avoid using names in the Public Domain. Efforts, led principally by the EU, to create a Register of GIs have not fared well, but taking the alternative approach – creating a Register of Common Names could have more success.

There are many sources to investigate whether specific names are common, or can be reserved for authorised parties. Post 2006 EU trade treaties provide an excellent source of data on generic names for EU foods. This paper uses these data from other official government sources to develop an initial listing of Common Names for food products from Europe.

Beyond EU food names, there have also been disagreements about names which are, arguably, plant variety names, such as Basmati and Prosecco. The later part of the paper turns attention to GIs and plant variety and animal breed names, with these specific cases being used to draw out lessons for both GI policy and for producers aiming to use registered names as an important part of their marketing strategy.

The paper discusses alternative approaches to specifying food names which can reduce disputation and increase clarity for consumers. By exploring the kinds of names that can effectively describe regional specialties, especially in ways that are most meaningful for consumers while avoiding contentious names (where at least some parties claim genericness) this paper aims to contribute both practically (for producers) and it terms of effective policy development.