The Hindu Business Line : Tea Board seeks EU protection for Darjeeling tea

Tea Board has submitted to the European Commission an application for registration of Darjeeling tea as GI (Geographical Indications) under ECR 510 in the European Commission member countries. This is the first agri-product from India seeking an international protection.

Giving this information to Business Line, Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce, said a tea delegation from India led by the Tea Board Chairman submitted the application in Brussels on November 12. Mr Ramesh, however, felt that it might be another two years or so before the EU registration would be available.

Domestic protection

At the same time, applications for protection of orthodox teas produced in Assam and Nilgiris in the domestic market had also been submitted to the registry office in Chennai. “It is not possible to obtain international protection without first having secured protection in the country of origin,” he observed. “The domestic protection for Darjeeling tea was obtained a few years ago”.

The Minister indicated that the domestic protection for the tea produced in Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh too, had already been obtained. However, no decision had yet been taken with regard to obtaining international protection for it, presumably because the volume of exports of Kangra Valley tea was insignificant.

However, the Tea Board officials would visit Palampur shortly to discuss the relevant issues with the State Government agency concerned that obtained the domestic protection , he added.

Global recognition

Mr Sanjay Bansal, Chairman, Darjeeling Tea Association, pointed out that as early as 1986 the Darjeeling logo was created and registered in the UK, the US, Japan, Canada and Egypt, and under the Madrid Agreement also covering Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and former Yugoslavia. The identification of opportunity to establish Darjeeling tea as a GI arose after the TRIPS Agreement of 1994. The initiative started in 2004 when Darjeeling tea was registered as GI as Sl No. 1&2.

Tea Board, according to Mr Bansal, fought more than 15 cases against infringement and misuse of Darjeeling tea in the last four years, including one in Sri Lanka where the importer agreed to abide by the regulations.