Phil Hogan leads EU food and drink delegation to Canada
The visit coincides with SIAL Canada, the biggest food and beverage trade fair in Canada, taking place in Toronto. The European Union has been selected as the region of honour at this year's fair, in recognition of the expected deepening of trade relations following the recent signature of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada.
Phil Hogan will take part in the official opening of SIAL, and the EU pavilion, which forms the centre piece of the fair, hosting a number of activities during the exhibition, including cooking shows with celebrity Canadian chefs using quality European ingredients.
“We are confident that CETA will bring more European products to discerning Canadian consumers. More than half a billion people on both sides of the Atlantic will enjoy new opportunities, and European products with protected geographical indications will enjoy special status on the Canadian market,” said Phil Hogan.
Accompanying Commissioner Hogan will be a 60-member business delegation of European food and beverage companies and associations, seeking new business opportunities in Canada. The visit will promote the strengths of European food and beverage products, including their quality, authenticity, diversity and safety and seek to build new business links with Canadian businesses.
The business delegation includes companies from most of the EU member states, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
A number of pan-European producers' associations will also be represented. They will all be promoting a wide variety of agri-food products, which could soon be finding their way to Canadian shelves, including fruit and vegetables, fresh and preserved meats, milk and dairy products and wines and spirits.
A variety of events will take place during SIAL featuring representatives from the business delegation, including a special seminar on CETA, presentations and tastings to highlight the diversity of European food and beverage products, and business matchmaking events with local businesses. Throughout the visit, special attention will be paid to culturally significant regional products from Europe that are protected by geographic indications, such as Scotch whisky, Pecorino or Roquefort cheese.
Phil Hogan has visited a number of countries in the last year to promote EU food and drink products: Colombia, Mexico, China, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Later this year he will visit Iran and Saudi Arabia.