Save our bubbly! EU ‘TERRIFIED British champagne could flood into Europe post-Brexit’

The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee reportedly drafted a warning – seen by the Guardian – to forewarn the EU commission that UK companies will no longer need to abide by the EU directives which protect EU product names when the nation has officially left the EU.

Currently, the European commission has given “geographical indication” (GI) status to 1,150 products, meaning companies can only use the name of a locality in their marketing if the product is from that area.

But when Brexit occurs, MEPs claim, “the question of what will happen to EU GIs after the withdrawal of the UK is difficult to answer”.

The document reportedly said: “If no arrangements to another effect are made, the protection afforded by the above-mentioned legislation would normally cease to apply in the UK, which means that over a thousand European registered names could be exposed to violation in this neighbouring country of the EU27 [while paradoxically the 59 UK names would remain protected in the EU if the commission decisions granting this protection are not repealed].”

Since the UK has “59 such registered names out of a total of 1,150 at EU level”, the document urges the EU commission to force Britain to follow EU standards and protections during the Brexit transitional period.

British branded names include “Lakeland Herwick Meat, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese, West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin [sea trout], and [economically important] Scotch Whisky”, as stated in the document.

This leaked report comes a day after MEPs in the European Parliament were found to be drafting provisions to ensure Britain’s fished stocks will remain a “shared resource” after Brexit.

Outraged, Mike Hookem said Britain’s waters must return to “UK control regardless of what the EU want”.

The MEP said: “This is nothing more than the EU wanting to have their cake and eat it.

“Time and again we are told the UK will not get any ‘special deals’ post-Brexit. Well, in that case, it should work both ways, and UK waters must return to UK control regardless of what the EU want.”