Brussels, 26/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - With Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier and President of the Committee of the Regions Michel Lebrun in attendance at the Competitiveness Council on Thursday 25 September, European industry ministers held an initial exchange of views on the possibility in the future of introducing a set of harmonised rules for geographical indication (GI) protection for non-agricultural products. “We devoted a lot of attention to this. A large majority of delegations is expecting the Commission to bring forward new initiatives building on the outcome of the consultations”, summarised Italian Secretary of State for European Affairs Sandro Gozi (our translation). The industry ministers' contributions to the debate will be taken into account by the Commission in the current consultations. On 15 July, the Commission launched a public consultation, to run until 28 October 2014, on a possible extension to non-agricultural products of geographical indication protection (see EUROPE 11122). (EH)