A large majority of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg on Monday 13 June criticised the proposal on geographical indications to transfer new powers to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to examine applications.
The French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, presented the state of play of the debates at technical level on the proposal to revise the geographical indications system. He noted the concerns of many delegations, in particular about the new tasks for EUIPO in the examination of GI files.
The Agriculture Ministers of many countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Ireland, the Netherlands, etc.) expressed doubts at the EU Council meeting about the expertise of this agency located in Alicante, and expressed their fear that agricultural producers would eventually have to pay a fee to register a geographical indication (see EUROPE 12967/22).
Janusz Wojciechowski, the Commissioner for Agriculture, said he hoped that the EU Council would reach a position (general approach) on the dossier by the end of the year to allow time for negotiations with the European Parliament in 2023.
The Spanish minister, Luis Planas, said that the technical evaluation of GIs should remain with the Commission, which should not outsource these tasks. Spain and other countries welcomed the proposed new provisions on producer groups and recognised producer groups.
The Commission’s essential role in examining applications must be defended, Italy said.
Greece expressed concerns about the delegation of certain tasks from the Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) to the EUIPO, which “would not have sufficient expertise”.
Portugal asked to ensure that the specificities of the wine sector be respected.
“The review should strengthen this system by making appropriate improvements while preserving the acquis. There is still a long way to go before the EU Council can adopt its position and then start negotiations with the European Parliament and reach an agreement”, Marc Fesneau summarised.
The incoming Czech Presidency of the EU Council is committed to taking forward this important issue of geographical indications in the second half of the year. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)