We want to reaffirm our key guiding principles on Brexit and the future relationship between the EU and UK. The European spirits sector’s success depends on the freedom of movement of goods and benefits from the freedom of movement of people and capital within the EU (including the UK). We acknowledge the significant efforts made to achieve an orderly Brexit and we have repeatedly said that no deal is not an acceptable outcome for our sector.
There are historic and economically significant spirit trade flows between the EU and UK.
We therefore call on both parties to put all efforts to look for a gold standard agreement between the EU and UK that preserves fair competition and maintains consumer confidence in our products.
The future regime should maintain a high degree of harmonisation or convergence of legislation including spirits definitions and the recognition of GIs. Regarding the later, the UK passed a law to maintain current protection of UK and “ALL-Island” Irish GIs (i.e., Whiskey, Irish Cream and Poitin) . For all the other GIs registered in EU-26, it looks like they will have to register again in the UK to achieve the same level of protection as of today. A strange, imbalanced situation, isn’t it?
