The Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis the European integration bill No. 6480, which implements the provisions of EU Regulation No. 2019/787 in the field of geographical indications of alcoholic beverages and the production of alcoholic beverages according to EU standards into Ukrainian legislation.
The corresponding bill, submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, was adopted at a parliament meeting on Friday by the votes of 266 people’s deputies (with the minimum required 226), Taras Melnichuk, representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada, said.
“This bill establishes general rules for the definition, description, presentation and labeling of alcoholic beverages, the rules for using the official names of alcoholic beverages; defines the features of the use and protection of geographical indications of alcoholic beverages; introduces a system for controlling geographical indications of alcoholic beverages,” the deputy wrote in his Telegram channel.
According to the text of the document, Ukrainian alcoholic beverages with geographical indications have significant potential in the European market, however, their sale and legal protection in the EU is possible only after successful state registration in Ukraine, the procedure for which currently does not exist due to the absence of the concept of legal protection of geographical indications of spirits.
To solve this problem, bill No. 6480 legislates the concept of “alcoholic beverage” and establishes a unified classification list of categories of alcoholic beverages and requirements for them; introduces requirements for ethyl alcohol and distillates used for the production of alcoholic beverages; ensures compliance with the rules for the definition, description, presentation and labeling of alcoholic beverages, including alcoholic beverages with geographical indications; ensures compliance with the requirements for the official names of alcoholic beverages.
“The implementation of the law will have a positive impact on the market environment, the state – by ensuring that Ukraine fulfills its obligations under the Association Agreement by bringing national legislation closer to the EU acquis in the field of legal protection of geographical indications; consumers – by ensuring transparency and fair competition in the alcohol market and providing information on alcoholic beverages,” is indicated in the explanatory note to the document.
Ukraine Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has approved a list of priority geographical indications (GIs), the EU-fund project “Geographical Indications in Ukraine” will be assisting in their registration. The first Ukrainian GIs products (given are working names) will be: wine with protected designation of origin (PDO) Shabskyi, PDO Yalpuh, wine with protected geographical indications (PGI) Zakarpattia, PGI Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, cheese with PDO Hutsul Sheep Bryndzya, watermelon with PDO Kherson Watermelon, sweet cherries with PDO Melitopol Cherries, honey with PGI Carpathian Honey, the project said on Facebook.
