European associations representing producers, cooperatives and regions appear quite satisfied with the ongoing reform of the rules on agricultural geographical indications (GIs), in a position paper dated 4 May.
The Association of European Regions for Products of Origin (AREPO), the Assembly of European Wine Regions (AREV) and Copa-Cogeca, among others, commenting on the EU Council’s position (see EUROPE 13177/4), welcome the progress on the role of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The EUIPO could contribute by managing the EU register and a domain name information and alert system, “but the Commission should remain fully in charge of the applications for registration, amendments, oppositions, and cancellations of GIs”.
The improvements made to the rules on (recognised) producer groups and on sustainability practices are moving in the right direction, according to these associations.
They regret, however, that the Commission’s proposals on the protection of domain names have been watered down and that the protection of GIs as ingredients has been reduced.
These associations believe that the producer of a prepacked food containing a GI product as an ingredient, who wishes to use the name of that geographical indication in the name of that prepacked food, should obtain the consent of the recognised producer group, if such a group exists.
More info: https://aeur.eu/f/6rz (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)