Poitín safe from rivals
Ireland first applied for GI status for Irish poitín/Irish poteen in 2008. Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív asked Mr Coveney if the drink’s status is protected, should the EU receive a GI application for a poitín produced in another country.
Mr Ó Cuív asked: “[Will] inclusion of the word ‘Irish’ before poitín/poteen leave it open to other countries to apply for GI status; for example, for Scotch poitín or German poitín and so on, as happened in the case of whiskey.
“Would be better to apply for GI status for Ireland for the exclusive use of the name poitín/poteen which is an uniquely Irish name for an uniquely Irish product?”
Mr Coveney said rival applications would have to show the link between their geographical area and the drink’s specific character. Any such application could not meet the EU’s deadline of February 20.
Mr Coveney said: “A technical file for Irish poitín/Irish poteen has to be submitted to the European Commission by February 20 to retain GI status. My department is working closely with the trade to finalise the technical file. Registration of the name without the word Irish would go beyond the established geographical indication and would require a commission proposal and agreement by the European Parliament and the council on amending the list of geographical indications.”
One study valued the EU’s annual global exports of GI products at almost €55bn. On average, GI products achieve 2.23 times the global sales of non-GI products.
