The country is receiving funding from the French government for geographical indications (GI) protection, a crucial component in the negotiations for the free trade agreement between the Philippines and the European Union (EU-PH FTA).

The French government, through the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), will be rolling out a technical assistance grant worth 1 million euros for two key components that include support for GI.

The technical assistance aims to develop and promote GIs in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Agriculture.

The grant was announced during the visit of French Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin to Manila last week.

“We express our gratitude to the AFD and CIRAD for the support in advancing the use of geographical indications in the country. GI protection speaks volumes about the distinct quality of a product. This can be a tool to attract more customers, incentivize farmers to increase production of GI-protected goods and make Philippine agriculture competitive,” IPOPHL Bureau of Trademarks Director Jesus Antonio Ros said in a Viber message Monday.

The IPOPHL defines GI as “indication which identifies a good as originating in a territory, region or locality, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin and/or human factors”.

GIs can provide additional value to products as they are perceived higher quality or more authentic. It also supports farmers and preserve cultural traditions.

Examples of GIs from France and the Philippines are champagne, a sparkling wine from Champagne region, and the Guimaras mangoes, grown in the island province of Guimaras.

When the European Commission announced its decision to conduct a scoping exercise for the EU-Philippine FTA, it listed GIs to be part of its comprehensive free trade deal with the Philippines.

“This is a very important agreement on the way for the negotiation of a free trade agreement with the European Union to enable the protection of geographical indications,” French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said during the signing of six agreements between Manila and Paris at her residence in Makati City on April 11. (PNA)