The Brewers of Europe, a representative group of brewers' associations, has welcomed the decision by the European Commission to open an examination into obstacles relating to the use of tequila in flavoured beverages.
The examination follows a complaint that the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the Mexican body that manages the spirit's designation of origin, restricted export certificates granted to Tequilas del Señor, a company producing and exporting tequila to Heineken for use in its Desperados beer.
'The complainant submits that the grounds for refusal is the claim from CRT that Heineken’s Desperados beer - a beer with an added ‘Tequila’ flavour - violates the Mexican technical standard applicable to the use of the Geographical Indication (GI) ‘Tequila’,' the European Commission said.
'Observe The Rules'
The Brewers of Europe said that the freedom to produce and market tequila-flavoured beer 'must not be curtailed', saying that Mexico should 'observe the rules' as laid down in an EU-Mexico bilateral Agreement on Spirit Drinks from 1997 and as prescribed by WTO law.
The representative group filed a complaint to the Commission back in June over the CRT's trade restrictions, saying that this was in 'clear violation' of existing obligations as outlined in the 1997 agreement.
'The Brewers of Europe is concerned, not just by the adverse impact of the current restriction on the market-leading tequila-flavoured beer, but also of the precedent this may set for other beers using tequila in their aroma and potentially other flavoured beers,' the group said.
It called on the Commission to 'insist' that the export restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible.
The European Commission said that interested parties may submit information or evidence relating to the nature of the complaint, with its findings on the matter set to be outlined early in the new year.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
