Ukraine will continue to produce and sell, including for exports, “cognac of Ukraine” and “champagne of Ukraine” to third countries until the beginning of 2026, the Ukrvinprom corporation has reported.
According to a statement on the corporation’s Facebook page, the country’s grape and wine industry is operating in a transitional period defined by Article 208 of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on the use of EU geographical indications for designating similar products originating from Ukraine.
“For a specific list of names of wine products, including (in particular) the names “champagne” and “cognac” this is a ten-year transitional period, which is valid until Jan. 1, 2026. So, this is the unchanged legal situation over the coming years,” Ukrvinprom said.
The corporation noted that as a result of a political decision at the time of signing the Association Agreement, it was not provided for the provision of compensation previously agreed upon during negotiations or technical assistance to Ukrainian wine producers in case of refusal to use the geographical indications of European countries in the names of Ukrainian wines and cognacs.
“According to experts, the transition to new names is in any case associated with significant financial losses for the Ukrainian wine industry – this is a significant burden on enterprises,” Ukrvinprom noted.
