L’EU-Australia trade agreement it does not raise any concerns in the Italian food & wine sector but only great expectations for development. Although somewhere an alarm has been raised about possible concessions on quality food products especially brands Dop e IgpIn reality, the protections seem more than sufficient for agri-food companies but – above all – the focus is on the opportunities that the agreement opens up thanks to the expected drastic cut in customs duties.
The main concerns arose for the Proseccowhich Australians produce along with named cheeses Parmesan, Gorgonzola o Romano. These are productions which, in the vast majority of cases, are started by second and third generation entrepreneurs who emigrated from Italy. Products that often have little to do with the originals, like a somewhat blurry family memory.
Australian Prosecco, for example, has long been made with grapes other than Glera (the grape variety of Venetian bubbles) and therefore cannot structurally present the same characteristics as Italian Prosecco. Also for this reason, and despite the fact that Glera vineyards have also been planted in Australia in recent years, it is not seen as a real threat by Italian producers.
«The agreement provides that Prosecco is recognized and protected as a geographical indication – explains the president of the Consortium of Prosecco Doc, Giancarlo Guidolin -. Furthermore, a ten-year phasing out process is envisaged in which they will be able to market their prosecco on the domestic Australian market and on markets where Prosecco DOC is not protected or registered. It’s about some countryAfrica and only temporarily (stocks are expected to run out) of New Zealand. The other important news is that they will be able to continue to sell it in Australia but by writing “Australian Prosecco” on the label and avoiding carrying images such as gondolas or Italian landscapes. Which also means putting an end to the evocation of our product. This is certainly a scenario of greater restriction than the current framework. And this can only please us.”
The Consorzio del Prosecco Doc, therefore, express satisfaction at the conclusion of a process started in 2014. In fact, the first trip to Australia by Prosecco producers dates back to that time to try to start a discussion with the local vignerons to reach a compromise solution. «A comparison – added Guidolin – thanks to the effort of European Commission and of the governments that have followed one another in recent years, finally comes to a conclusion with the recognition, also by Australia, of our GI. Also very important are the rules that provide that Australians can continue to use the name Prosecco but only as a varietal indication and with strict labeling rules to prevent the consumer from being misled about the true origin of the wine.”
