Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for a revised approach to naming Armenian alcoholic products in alignment with the European Union partnership agreement.
During a government meeting on October 31, Pashinyan highlighted the issue of using geographically protected names in Armenia’s alcohol industry. He emphasized that terms like “champagne” and “cognac” are historically names of French regions rather than types of beverages, complicating the export of Armenian products.
The prime minister noted that efforts to secure the right to use “cognac” internationally face skepticism, as it is a protected intangible heritage of France, applicable only to brandy from the Cognac region.
This renaming effort is part of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the EU, signed in 2017. Under the agreement, Armenian producers may use the name “cognac” for exports until 2032.
After this transitional period, products will need to be labeled as “brandy” for exports. However, on the Armenian domestic market, producers will still be able to use the familiar term “cognac” without restriction.
These changes are part of Armenia’s commitment to align its alcohol product names with European standards for geographical indication protection.
