Darjeeling tea closes in on Europe’s GI mark

The Indian application for a Geographical Indication mark for Darjeeling tea has entered a crucial six-month period after which it would be given the same status as products such as Roquefort cheese and Napa Valley wines.

Geographical Indications (GIs) are a type of intellectual property mark that protects against unlawful usage of a name for a regional product.

It relates primarily to goods, although some services are also included. The goods should be from a defined geographical area and have qualities linked to the place of origin.

“We had received a dossier on Darjeeling tea. We checked to see if it met European standards for receiving the GI mark and have found it applicable for granting of the GI mark. Anybody who has objections has six months to make them known,” said Michael Mann, spokesperson for agriculture and rural development in the European Commission.

Currently, 800 products enjoy the protection of the GI mark. The granting of the GI will ensure that tea falsely claiming the Darjeeling name cannot be sold inside the European Union.

“We will examine any objections that are presented. If any claims are found to have merit, then negotiations would take place over them. Else, the GI mark should be in place in half-a-year,” said Mann.

Darjeeling tea might find protection even outside of where it is currently seeking it, as the European Union is also looking to increase the ambit of the GI mark beyond the EU, according to the spokesperson.

“Part of the WTO talks is our desire to see international recognition for this system of protecting traditional regional products,” Mann said.

A fact sheet from the European Union suggested that more ‘Darjeeling’ tea is produced outside India than in the Darjeeling region. Some estimates, the sheet said,
put the ratio of false Darjeeling tea to the genuine product at 3:1.