In this talk, David Watson discusses the legal, political, and geographical implications of Prosecco in the European Union.
The European Union (EU) geographical indication (GI) system provides a high level of intellectual property protection to food and drink names. While the system was originally designed to diversify agricultural production, improve farmer income and provide accurate information to consumers, the EU now also justifies protection by arguing that GIs preserve traditional culture and increase sustainability. However, an alternative view that the system is motivated by protectionism and influenced by politics needs to be taken seriously in light of case studies such as the award of GI protection to the Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco.
Despite drawing on an invented tradition, ‘Prosecco’ is not eligible for GI protection because the name identified a characteristic of the wine (that it consisted of the Prosecco grape variety), not its origin, at the time of registration. Political interference in an attempt to thwart the use of ‘Prošek’ by Croatian wine producers demonstrates the scope inherent in the EU GI system for regulatory capture by special interests. Awarding GI protection to Prosecco undermines the integrity of the system and serves as a reminder to countries engaged in trade negotiations with the EU to independently assess claims that names constitute GIs.
This talk is part of the CES Spring 2026 Colloquium Series. The series features UBC CES affiliate faculty currently working on issues related to Europe and the languages spoken there.
This event is hybrid. Those who wish to attend online can register for the Zoom link below.
Bio
David Watson is a doctoral candidate at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. He researches in the field of international trade and intellectual property law. He is a recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship and the University of British Columbia Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF). David’s dissertation examines the contrasting approaches of the European Union and the United States to the protection of geographical indications in trade agreements.
