EU vs Wisconsin
Here’s an update on the on-going “naming” conflict between the European Union and agricultural interests in the United States.
According to PRNewswire-USNewswire, “The [International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)] commends the 55 U.S. senators who have taken a strong stance against the European Union’s efforts to hinder our use of common food names.
A letter coauthored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) urges Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to reject the EU’s attempt in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations to claim exclusive use of common cheese names both here and abroad.
“These lawmakers understand the importance of lowering trade barriers and fighting the kinds of restrictions that have the capacity to stall job growth in the United States and limit our expanding dairy export market.
“Protecting the ability of U.S. cheese makers to use common cheese names is a top priority for IDFA. TTIP is an opportunity to lift trade barriers, not impose new ones.”
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies within a $125-billion a year industry.
IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA’s nearly 200 dairy processing members run nearly 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.
