Brussels, 27/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - At their meeting in Horta (Azores, Portugal), on 20 and 21 November, the members of the bureau of the Assembly of European Wine-Producing Regions (known by its French acronym, AREV) unanimously adopted a resolution in which they express concern at the absence of measures to protect the geographical indications (GI) of the European wine-making industry in the future Internet domain names “.vin” and “.wine”.
AREV reiterates the serious consequences that this practice will have for consumers (products which have no connection to a geographical indication being sold by the owner of a domain name usurped from the GI) and producers (usurpation of names, misappropriation of notoriety, cybersquatting: chianti.wine, rioja.wine, bordeaux.wine, porto.wine, rheingau.wine, tokaj.wine, etc).
AREV takes note of the temporary suspension of the delegation of the “.vin” and “.wine” domain names secured by the European and American wine-making sectors and the European Commission, following amicable procedures taken against ICANN's (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) decision. AREV hopes that this procedure will lead to a solution which is “satisfactory to all”.
Should the amicable procedure fail to give satisfaction, AREV calls on the European Commission to use all possible means of recourse, including legal procedures against ICANN. In its capacity as guardian of the Treaties, the European Commission “must show its full determination in defending the concept of PDOs and PGIs by insisting that the same rules are applied 'online' as those which apply in the real economy”, AREV stresses (our translation).
The European Commission is closely monitoring the issue, to ensure that ICANN does not allocate first-level domain names using generic codes (for example .vin, .wine) which may have negative consequences for European agri-food production, particularly on the wine market.
Flavescence dorée. AREV also adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to take concrete and swift measures for researching, monitoring and fighting this plague, which is known by its French name, and for compensation for wine-growers who have fallen victim to this vine disease. AREV calls on the Commission to take all possible initiatives in order to: - take stock at European level of the monitoring and control measures for the disease; - harmonise, at European level, the strategies to fight flavescence dorée and its carriers; - fund research programmes within the 'Horizon 2020' framework programme (into the disease and its potential carriers, devising technical tools to detect, fight and reduce impact and, in particular, to develop alternative strategies to chemical treatment to bring populations of carriers under control); - set in place compensation for wine-growers, particularly in the framework of national aid programmes to the wine-making sector. (LC)