Liubao tea. [Photo by Huang Qiaohua/Nanguo Morning]

A total of 12 distinctive Guangxi products have gained geographical indications (GIs) protection from the European Union, after the bilateral agreement on GIs between China and the EU took effect on March 1.

The Guangxi products included Baise mango, Guilin luohanguo, Liubao tea, Qintang Maojian tea, Beihai oysters and Rong'an kumquat.

The GI is used to show that a product has a specific geographical origin, and that it possesses either qualities or a certain reputation due to that origin. 

It is expected that these products will soon be officially marked in the EU so that their reputation on the EU market will be further increased, allowing the products to explore more development opportunities. 

The China-EU agreement on protecting GIs will also create opportunities for more high-quality agricultural products from Guangxi to be exported to the EU. 

An official from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Administration for Market Regulation said that Guangxi has attached great importance to the cultivation, application and protection of GIs since the 13th Five Year Plan period (2016-20), and the number of valid GIs for Guangxi brands had increased to 72 by 2020 from 30 at the end of the 12th Five Year Plan period (2011-15). The number of products under GIs protection had reached 92 by 2020, and covers 332 companies.

It is said that the GIs protection has played an important role in areas such as increasing local farmers' income, boosting poverty alleviation and raising the quality of the regional economy. 

骄傲！广西12个特色产品入选中欧地理标志清单

3月20日，南国早报客户端记者从自治区市场监管局获悉，中欧地理标志协定正式生效，广西共有百色芒果、桂平西山茶、横县茉莉花茶、桂林罗汉果、覃塘毛尖、北海生蚝、融安金桔等12个地理标志产品被纳入中欧地理标志协定互认清单。

地理标志是识别产品来源于某一地区的标志，产品的质量和声誉都取决于这一特定地区的自然和人文因素。2020年9月14日，中国和欧盟于正式签署《中华人民共和国政府与欧洲联盟地理标志保护与合作协定》，并确定于2021年3月1日正式生效。保护分两批进行，第一批各100个，第二批各175个。

在这两批550个被纳入互认清单的地理标志产品中，百色芒果、桂平西山茶、横县茉莉花茶等广西特色产品成为首批双方互认地理标志产品。第二批被纳入互认清单的广西地理标志产品包括桂林罗汉果、覃塘毛尖茶、宜州桑蚕茧、六堡茶、凌云白毫茶、姑辽茶、北海生蚝、博白桂圆、融安金桔等。

据了解，随着中欧地理标志协定生效，具有地理标志的广西名优农产品还将会获得欧盟的官方标志，大大提升产品在欧盟市场的知名度，迎来更加广阔的发展机遇。同时，广西更多优质农产品也可以利用协定带来的机遇，进一步推动相关产品出口欧盟，将越来越多的广西高质量农产品送到欧盟人民的餐桌上。

据自治区市场监管局有关负责人介绍，“十三五”以来，广西全面加强地理标志培育、运用和保护，有效地理标志商标由“十二五”末的30件增长到72件，新增地理标志保护产品26个，总数达到92个，地理标志专用标志使用企业达到332家。地理标志在促进农民增收、助力脱贫攻坚、服务区域经济高质量发展等方面发挥了重要作用。