The proposals have been approved by the Scotch Whisky Association Council following a consultation exercise led by the industry, which generates £2bn in exports every year and accounts for 41,000 jobs.

The SNP's spokesman on the industry, Moray MSP Richard Lochhead, said yesterday: "Scotland's party will support this vital Scottish industry. Scotch whisky needs proper legal protection to stop its products being copied and ripped off abroad."

Scotch whisky has been defined for many years and is protected in law, most recently in the Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and the Scotch Whisky Order 1990, and is also protected at EU and WTO level as a recognised "geographical indication". Mr Lochhead said traditional names for Scotch whisky, such as Speyside and Islay, are governed only by industry convention, and this has led to difficulty in protecting these terms in 200 export markets abroad.

Source: The Herald

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