American feta and Parma on menu for trade agreement, UK told
TRADE deals with the US will be at risk if Britain keeps EU protections on items like champagne, feta and Parma ham, a senior Republican has warned.
The Daily Telegraph has learnt that Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, has warned David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, not to concede to the EU during Brexit talks. During a visit to the US he was told by Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, that the UK must “diverge” from EU protected status. The US produces its own feta, Parmesan and champagne and will resist attempts to ban their sale.
Refusal to compromise led to the collapse of a key trade deal between the EU and the US. Michel Barnier, the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, insists Britain must recognise 3,300 products after Brexit that are protected under a system of “geographical indications”, meaning they cannot be made elsewhere. This prevents English growers calling sparkling wine champagne or Danish farmers selling their crumbly cheese as feta. The UK has 83 protected food and drinks ranging from scotch whisky and Cornish pasties to Arbroath smokies.
Mr Barnier says the issue is “not negotiable” and must be settled before the UK can move on to negotiations about future trading arrangements. Dr Fox says making concessions now will only embolden the EU to push for more. He says the UK must stay flexible. However, Mr Davis is keen for talks now to avoid it becoming a sticking point in later negotiations, adding any threat to withdraw from EU protections after Brexit is likely to draw resistance from member states.
Charles Ries, a former US ambassador, highlighted the UK’S dilemma earlier this year. He told Business Insider, an American financial and business news website: “If the UK didn’t protect Europe’s geographical indications when it negotiated a deal with the US, it would be very difficult for the UK to negotiate with the EU, which is a far bigger trading partner for the UK.
“Just imagine it in practical terms. If the US insisted in a bilateral US-UK negotiation that we be allowed to call cheese from Vermont feta – and if the British accepted that and allowed for the sale of Vermont feta in the UK – that would put them in contradiction to whatever obligations they may have to protect feta in the UK as a result of a free-trade agreement with the EU.”
A Government spokesman said: “Leaving the EU gives us a golden opportunity for ambitious free-trade deals in the mutual interests of the countries involved while supporting farmers and producers to grow and sell great British food. We will ensure consumers will have high-quality food.”