Ukraine synchronizes laws on geographical indications for spirit drinks with EU legislation

MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has passed in general a European integration law, which implements the EU regulations on geographical indications and production of spirit drinks in national legislation.

The bill submitted by the Ukrainian government passed on Thursday, the Ukrainian media said, citing a statement by deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak from the Golos faction on a social network.

According to the document, Ukrainian spirit drinks with geographical indications have a substantial potential on the European market, however their distribution and legal protection in the EU would be possible only after successful state registration in Ukraine. There is no such procedure for now, as Ukrainian laws do not contain the notion of legal protection of geographical indications for spirit drinks.

Hence, the bill formalizes the notion of "spirit drinks," establishes a unified classification list of spirit drink categories and related requirements, sets requirements for ethyl alcohol and distillates used for the production of spirit drinks, and ensures compliance with the rules for the definition, description, presentation and labeling of spirit drinks, including those with geographical indications, as well as compliance with the requirements for official names of spirit drinks.

"The implementation of this law will have a positive effect on the market and the nation by the provision of Ukraine's compliance with the Association Agreement through harmonization of national and EU laws in the field of legal protection of geographical indications, and on consumers by the provision of transparency and fair competition on the market of spirit drinks and the provision of information about spirit drinks," the explanatory note to the document said.

As reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada approved the bill in principle in July 2022.