The US warns Chile that giving a monopoly on cheese names to the European Union will have consequences

What to observe. The United States authorities have repeatedly expressed their concern to the Chilean Government about the decision being taken in the Advanced Framework Agreement between Chile and the European Union (EU) that includes protections for common names of foods and, in particular, the varieties of cheeses, as well as geographical indicators. Under the new agreement, Chile grants European producers recognition of 216 EU geographical indications and commonly used names such as feta, gruyere, kölsch and parmesan. In total there are 216 protected names. The United States' concern is about the protection given to common names, rather than geographical indications or appellations of origin, according to the press department of the United States Embassy in Chile. “This is the first time that an EU trade agreement includes such broad protections for commonly used names,” warns a document from the US Department of Agriculture. The American concern points to the possibility that ...