Capacity building and knowledge expansion on the EU GI legal framework and practice: GI Conference
This activity facilitates the participation of the Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities in the high-level conference on Geographical indications organised by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in view of discussing, together with Member States and candidate countries, the new landscape on Geographical Indications (GIs) in the EU.
In March 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on agricultural GIs, followed by a proposal for a regulation on craft and industrial geographical indications (CIGIs), published in April 2022. As a result, the EU landscape presents a new legislative framework in the area of GIs:
- A reforming Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products – amending the Regulations related to wines (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013), spirit drinks (Regulation (EU) No 2019/787) and repealing the one related to agricultural products and foodstuffs (Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012);
- A new Regulation (EU) No 2023/2411 of 18 October 2023 introducing the unitary protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products and for which the EUIPO will be the competent examination Office.
On 28-29 January, the EUIPO, in collaboration with the European Commission, hosted the international conference ‘Safeguarding Our Heritage, Cultivating Our Future’. This hybrid event, held in Alicante, Spain, and online, brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, intellectual property (IP) experts, and producers, to discuss the important role of GIs in driving innovation, economic growth, and cultural preservation.
Eight high-level delegates from Ukraine and Moldova attended the event, including public and private sector representatives, engaging in sessions aimed at aligning their national GI systems with EU standards and exploring the evolving opportunities within the GI sector
The participation of partner countries offers the opportunity to further present and explain the new EU legal framework and practice such as the examination and opposition procedures, the role of GIs and trade marks to candidate countries as well as assess the impact of the unified framework aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the GI registration process. Starting in 2025, the EUIPO will be fully responsible for registering craft and industrial GIs. This marks a significant step in the development of the EU's GI system.