Ukrainian winemakers are ready to fulfill the requirements of the Free Trade Agreement with the EU, including regarding the transition to new product names, after the end of the transition period, that is, after 2026. In particular, we are talking about alcoholic drinks that are produced in Ukraine under the names “champagne” and “cognac,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The general director of the Ukrvinprom corporation, Vladimir Kucherenko, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“Ukrainian winemakers are ready to fulfill all the requirements provided for under the Association Agreement and switch to new names for their products at the end of the transition period - after 2026. We are talking about the names “champagne” and “cognac”, because these terms come from the geographical names of the territories - the province of Champagne and the city of Cognac. We work closely with the National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognac and the Interprofessional National Committee of Champagne Wines and take into account the requirements of France, which defends the interests of its producers,” Kucherenko emphasized.
He recalled that Moldova and Armenia have already fulfilled the EU conditions. Thus, Moldovan cognac received the official name “Divin”, which is now a trademark owned by the state. Armenia changed the name to “Arbun”.
“We also have to go through the process of changing the name. It's not just re-labeling. The new name should take into account historical moments or national characteristics. And most importantly, we must also take care to prevent a decrease in production, preserve jobs, and improve the technological production of the Ukrainian wine industry,” added Kucherenko.
In the position stated on the corporation's Facebook page, it is noted that Ukrainian manufacturers are ready to switch to new brands, even despite the likely drop in their profits during this process. At the same time, winemakers note that today “exorbitant taxes and excise taxes” are being introduced on alcohol and wine products.