In the first quarter after the turn of the year, trade between China and Europe skyrocketed in tea (up 54%), beer (21%), apples (69%) and cheese (56%). Over 60 French GIs (geographical indications) are under protection in China. The numbers, evidently profited from the execution of a China-EU GI agreement and another one specifically between China and France, enhance the two countries' faith to further cooperation in GI trade.

　　France is a country China has the most extensive GI cooperation program with and gives protection to the largest number of GIs. Quality and exotic GI products from the two countries could enter into each other's households in a more secure and reliable way. The unique GI feast, where "Chinese flavor" meets "French flavor", provides more options for both people to pursue a better life and injects confidence in the mutual economic growth against the COVID-19 pandemic.

　　High-level management builds cooperation

　　China has been working attentively to link its GI system seamlessly with the international norms. For instance, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the Measures for the Protection of Foreign GI Products to further facilitate filing by foreign users. In the 14th Five-Year National Plan for GI Protection and Use released in 2021, the scope of mutual recognition and protection of GIs is planned to be further advanced, the breadth and depth of international exchanges and cooperation on GI protection be expanded and the competitiveness of Chinese GIs in the international market be enhanced by 2025.

　　France also invested tremendous efforts on shaping a GI administration system. "France has been playing a crucial role in the development of GIs," said Pascal Faure, Head of the National Intellectual Property Institute (INPI) of France, noting that the "appellation of origin" concept was born in France, and would later be adopted by the EU by passing a regulation on the protection of GIs and appellations of origin agricultural product in 1992. In addition, in order to broaden the scope of protection, France established a local framework to protect industrial and handicraft GIs in 2014. As of the beginning of this April, France was in possession of about 464 GI products.

　　Benefiting from the unremitting efforts on quality management from both sides, the two countries are converging in terms of GI. A signed-off GI agreement even unlocks a new mode of bilateral cooperation. "The signing of this agreement provides a strong support for ample exchanges on GI legislations and practice, which helps communication in the fields of agriculture and food," said Marie Guittard, Director of the Institut National de L'origine Et de La Qualité (INAO). As of date, over 60 French GI products are under protection in China with the help of bilateral cooperation projects, China-EU pilot program of mutual recognition and protection of "10+10" GIs and the China-EU GI Agreement.

　　High-quality products enter households

　　Brand promotion is an important way to realize GIs' commercial value. In recent years, GI practitioners from China and France have shared their experiences and fruits in cultivating regional brands and improving product qualities.

　　The Huiliu Tea company in China's Anhui province has been approved to use the GI special mark of Lu'an melon seed tea. "In order to build brands, expand market and develop tea industry, our company has invited experts to formulate plans and marketing strategies, increase capital investment and design unified brand logos, advertising slogans and storefronts, which helps to raise our core competitiveness," the company's chairman Zeng Shengchun introduced his experience in brand cultivation and market expansion.

　　"After obtaining GI protection, the Bayonne ham industry has received good economic and social benefits, helping to revive the rural economy," a principal of the Consortium du Jambon de Bayonne of France said. "To drive the economic development, ecological farming has been developed in Bayonne by formulating product rules, selecting local feeds and establishing a system that can trace the whole production cycle. As of date, there are about 800 dedicated pig farmers in this area, producing 1.5 million pigs and 1 million hams each year, accounting for 20% of the total ham production in France."

　　In the first quarter after the turn of the year, China's imports and exports with the EU reached 1.31 trillion yuan - an increase of 10.2%- over 100 billion yuan of which was contributed by the trade with France. In 2021, over $80 billion goods and services were traded between the countries with agricultural products Fabriqué en France being a sure-fire big winner, scoring a whopping 40% revenue hike in export to China, and France reclaimed the title of No.1 wine supplying country for China. With the strong wind of GI development followed, the cooperative ship between China and France will sail into a wider waterway.(by Xue Peiwen)

　　2022年第一季度，中欧茶叶、啤酒、苹果、酪乳贸易分别增长了54%、21%、69%和56%；目前超过60个法国地理标志产品在中国受到保护……在中欧地理标志协定和中法地理标志合作议定书生效红利持续释放的背景下，一组数据显示出中法两国在地理标志领域不断相向而行，推动双边经贸合作走深、走实。

　　法国是中国在地理标志领域合作范围最广、获得保护最多的国家，中法高品质特色地理标志产品以更加放心可靠的方式走进彼此的千家万户。当“中国味道”邂逅“法兰西风味”，别开生面的地理标志盛宴为两国人民追求美好生活提供了更多选项，为新冠肺炎疫情下双方经济增长提振了信心。

　　高水平管理搭建合作桥梁

　　一直以来，中国高度重视地理标志保护，助推中国地理标志制度体系与国际接轨。其中，为进一步便利外国申请人在华提交地理标志产品保护申请，中国国家知识产权局发布了《国外地理标志产品保护办法》。此外，2021年出台的《地理标志保护和运用“十四五”规划》明确提出，到2025年，地理标志互认互保范围进一步扩大，地理标志保护国际交流合作的广度和深度进一步拓展，中国地理标志产品国际市场竞争力进一步提升。

　　法国同样对建设地理标志管理体系倾注了大量心血。“法国在地理标志发展史上一直发挥着重要作用。”法国工业产权局局长帕斯卡·法尔介绍，事实上，“原产地名称”的概念最早源自于法国，欧盟随后沿用了这一制度，并且在1992年通过了关于保护农产品和食品地理标志和原产地名称条例。此外，法国在2014年建立了保护工业和手工业地理标志的地方框架，进一步拓宽保护范围。截至今年4月初，法国共拥有约464个地理标志产品。

　　得益于双方在质量管理等领域的不懈付出，中法两国在地理标志领域不断相向而行，中法地理标志合作议定书的生效更是解锁了双边合作新模式。“合作议定书的签署为两国在法律和实践层面进行充分交流提供了有力支撑，有利于搭建好两国在农业和粮食作物领域的沟通桥梁。”法国国家原产地和质量管理局局长玛丽·吉塔德表示。截至目前，超过60个法国地理标志产品通过两国合作、中欧“10+10”地理标志互认互保试点和中欧地理标志协定等方式，在中国受到保护。

　　高品质产品走入千家万户

　　品牌推广是实现地理标志商业价值的重要途径。近年来，中法两国的地理标志从业者在培育区域品牌、提升产品品质等方面互相分享心得和体会。

　　作为获准使用地理标志专用标志的企业之一，安徽省六安瓜片茶业股份有限公司董事长曾胜春在强化品牌培育、开拓市场布局等方面积累了经验。他介绍，为打造六安瓜片品牌，拓展市场销售渠道，促进茶产业发展，公司邀请专家制定方案、精心策划营销、加大资金投入，制定了统一的品牌标识、广告语、门店形象等，进一步提升了品牌核心竞争力。

　　“获得地理标志产品保护后，巴约纳火腿产业带来了良好的经济社会效益，有助于重振乡村经济。”巴约纳火腿行业联合会有关负责人表示，当地通过制定产品细则、选用本地饲料、设置全程可追溯体系等举措大力发展生态养殖，带动经济发展。据了解，当地目前约有800家专业养殖户，每年出栏150万头猪，生产100万条火腿，占法国火腿总量的20%。

　　2022年第一季度，中国与欧盟进出口1.31万亿元，增长10.2%，其中与法国进出口规模超过1000亿元；2021年全年，中法双边贸易额超过800亿美元，其中中国自法国进口农产品总额同比增长40%，法国再次成为中国第一大葡萄酒供应国……相信乘着地理标志发展的东风，中法两国的友好合作之船定能扬帆远航，驶入更加广阔的航道！（薛佩雯）

（文章来源：中国知识产权报）

（编辑：邵京京 责任编辑：吕可珂 审校：崔静思）

（中国知识产权报独家稿件，未经授权不得转载）