Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU to ensure that geographical indications from the UK continue to be recognised in the EU and that systems for such indications remain compatible across the UK and EU.

Countries outside the EU are already able to participate in the EU's Protected Food Name schemes when selling onto the EU market. In addition, the rules that currently govern the enforcement of Protected Food Names will be placed on a UK legal basis through the EU Withdrawal Bill. Whether the UK continues to protect EU Protected Food Names from other member states in the UK market will be a matter for negotiation. Some of the Geographical Indicator designations that the UK has, for instance protecting Scotch Whisky in the US, are governed by agreements outside the EU Protected Food Name scheme. The UK will continue to abide by WTO rules on the protection of Geographical Indicators globally.