FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amandine Legros eu.office@origin-gi.com
Brussels, 29 September 2022. Mr. Paolo De Castro – Rapporteur of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament on the revision of the Geographical Indication Policy – presented today his working document on the Commission’s proposal.
oriGIn EU is pleased to note Mr. De Castro’s willingness to focus on key areas to improve the Commission’s proposal and further strengthen the EU GI policy, which is one of the cornerstones of the agricultural policy as well as an internationally recognised success story. In 2013, trade in EU GIs was worth €54 billion a year and in 2021 €74,8 billion a year. Today, GIs represent 15.5% of the total EU agri-food exports. EU GIs have become a symbol of quality of European food and beverages across the world, this reform needs to enhance the protection of GIs in defending and promoting the specificities of GIs.
“First of all, the GIs of our network welcome Mr. Paolo De Castro’s intention to clarify the Commission proposal with respect to the role and responsibilities of groups, which are at the core of the GI system. Likewise, we support the need to finetune rules aimed at reinforcing protection, for instance online and when GIs are used as ingredients, as well as to simplify registration procedures, while ensuring that the European Commission remains at the heart of the analysis and approval of product specifications. In this respect, we welcome the idea to clearly define in the Regulation the competencies of the EUIPO, which should be limited to IP and enforcement issues, keeping the scrutiny of applications and amendments to the product specifications with the Commission”, says the President of oriGIn EU, Charles Deparis.
At the same time, some areas – such as the evocation definition and GIs cancellation procedures – might deserve some further reflection. “In any case, oriGIn EU is keen to continue to work with Mr. De Castro, the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to further improve the GI policy, thereby enhancing the contribution of quality products to the sustainable economic, environmental, and social development across Europe. We count on the European institutions to collaborate to finalize the GI policy reform by 2023”, concludes Charles Deparis.
oriGIn EU is the European branch of the global alliance of GIs (https://www.origin-gi.com). Its mission is to ensure better protection and promotion of GIs. oriGIn EU represents individual European GIs groups as well as national GIs organisations.
