27-01-2021
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The European Commission has launched a public consultation calling for views on how to strengthen the geographical indications system.
The goal of the consultation, announced on Monday, January 25, is to gather views on the major challenges that need to be addressed ahead of a planned revision of the system as well as their underlying causes.
The Commission will also use the consultation to research policy options that could address these challenges and the potential effects of these different options.
The European Union protects almost 3,400 names of specific products, including agricultural products and foodstuffs; fishery and aquaculture products; wines, spirit drinks and aromatised wine products.
These are protected under its EU quality schemes: Geographical Indication (GI), Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG).
The consultation is open to all, but the Commission said it is particularly keen to hear from certification bodies, and lobbies dealing with geographical indications, trademarks, and environmental issues.
The questionnaire is available in all EU languages and can be accessed via the European Commission web page dedicated to the consultation.
The deadline for contributions is April 9, 2021.
News of the consultation comes as the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) announced that Cambodia has registered ‘Kampot Pepper’ as its first GI via the Geneva Act of WIPO's Lisbon System. The GI will provide protection for names identifying the geographic origin of products such as coffee, tea, cheese, wine, pottery, and cloth.
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