It was said at the press conference on the forum that the notion "vodka", like "whisky", has a specific concept.
However, the "Russian vodka" can be protected within the EU framework, said Werner Albrecht of the FRG Ministry for the Protection of Consumer Rights, Food and Agriculture.
"There are on the EU market such protected brands as the 'Finnish vodka' or 'Swedish vodka'", he said. "Moreover, this has a great significance in view of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization".
In the opinion of Russian experts, the "product 'Russian vodka' merits being recognized on the German and European markets as a special category so as not to mislead the consumer". They believe that it must be produced "according to tougher quality demands". It is also unacceptable to use the Russian symbols on bottles produced in other countries.
Conferees arrived at the conclusion of the need to set up working groups for settling all matters regarding the protection of the notion "Russian vodka" on the EU market.
