Moves are afoot to make it illegal for foreign whiskies to describe themselves as Highland or Lowland.

The UK Government today launches a consultation on the introduction of tighter definitions of Scotch whisky in UK law, which would also protect brands from Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown.

By next year, whiskies will only be allowed to be labelled as coming from these geographic areas if they have been made entirely in the region.

Whiskies will also be banned from being labelled with the name of a distillery if they are not a product of that distillery.

In addition, the regulations will require all Scotch whisky to be wholly matured in Scotland and will prohibit the export of single malt Scotch whisky unless it has been bottled and labelled.

The move, applauded by distillers, will support action against counterfeiting in the industry, which has exports worth more than £2.5bn to the Scottish economy.

If applied in international trade agreements, Islay and Speyside would be in the same category as Champagne, Parma ham, Rioja and Roquefort cheese with protection from European trade law.

Scotch whisky has been defined for many years and is protected by law, most recently in the Scotch Whisky Act 1988 and the Scotch Whisky Order 1990. It is also protected at EU and World Trade Organisation level.

But the new laws, which could be in place by spring 2008, will prevent foreign spirits using geographic areas in Scotland.

It will also make it compulsory to use the appropriate category name as the sales description on every bottle sold, the categories being single malt, blended malt, single grain, blended grain and blended.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed the consultation and proposed legislative changes, which follow incidences of foreign distillers passing off their products as Scottish, a practice the SWA already challenges in courts around the world, employing five lawyers in Edinburgh to chase imitators.

Among brands recently challenged through courts across Europe are Highland Gold Finest Whisky, produced in the Netherlands and Suriname, Lowlands Blended Whisky, produced in Spain, and Islay Whisky Cream, distilled in Italy.

Gavin Hewitt, SWA chief executive, said: "Scotch whisky is vital to the UK economy, with exports of £2.5bn supporting over 65,000 jobs.

"At a time when international demand for Scotch is growing, distillers will applaud proposals to bring forward this important legislation.

"The proposals will benefit the industry and the wider economy, helping to protect and promote Scotch globally."

Announcing the consultation Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "This will take us another step closer to strengthening the UK legislation that the SWA has been telling us they need to help them protect Scotch whisky in export markets."

The move has also been welcomed by the Scottish Government. Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said: "We have been working closely with all UK Government departments to establish the best way of providing tighter definitions of Scotch whisky, in order to protect consumers and protect the product's reputation."