On 21 January, France deposited its instrument of ratification to the WIPO Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement.
Together with the EU, individual Member States that are party to the Lisbon Agreement (France as well as Italy, Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia) should accede to the Geneva Act for the following reasons:
- EU Member States which are contracting parties to the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act will ensure the continuity of rights for the Appellations of Origin previously protected under the Lisbon Agreement.
- Moreover, in the Union which governs the Geneva Act, contracting parties that are intergovernmental organizations, such as the EU, will have a number of votes equal to the number of Member States which are party to it.
To know more about the Geneva Act and its relations with the Lisbon Agreement, please consult the dedicated page of the oriGIn website.
