The GIs and Traditional Specialties Systems in the European Union

1. The GIs and Traditional Specialties Systems in the European Union WIPO NATIONAL SEMINAR ON NEW PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF THE PROTECTION OF APPELLATIONS OF ORIGIN Tbilisi, 28-29 October 2009 Rafael Fernández Ibiza

2. 1. Legal Frame Legal Frame: • Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 ontheprotection of GeographicalIndications and Designations of OriginforAgriculturalproducts and foodstuffs. • Council Regulation (EC) No 1898/2006 of 14 December 2006 layingdowndetailed rules of implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 ontheprotection of geographicalindications and designations of originforagriculturalproducts and foodstuffs. • Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 of 29 April 2008 onthecommonorganisation of themarket in wine. • Council Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of 15 January2008 onthedefinition, description, presentation, labelling and theprotection of geographicalindications of spiritdrinks. • Council Regulation (EC) No 509/2006 of 20 March 2006 onagriculturalproducts and foodstuffs as traditionalspecialitiesguaranteed rfernandez@lbabogados.com

3. 1. Legal Overview Reaching protection within EU • For EU nationals: REGISTRATION. • For Third countries: three different ways to reach protection a) International Legislation: ex Art. 23 TRIPS. b) Bilateral Agreements with EU. c) Registration as: • Designations of Origin or Geographical Indication: Agricultural products and Food Stuffs and Wines. • Geographical Indication: Spirits. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

4. 1. Territorial protection rfernandez@lbabogados.com

5. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs • CREATION: RECORD: • Process established on Rules 510/2006, 1898/2006 and national legislation. • Application made by producers through the Member States. • Product Specifications: product specifications in relation with the origin and/or product elaboration. • Application opened to third countries (art. 12). rfernandez@lbabogados.com

6. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuff CHOOSING A MODEL: PDO Or PGI?(Art. 2) • Protected Designations of Origin (art. 2.1.a) • Region and specific places names, and excepcionally country names. • Product original from that region. • Quality or characteristics due to the geographical environment + human factors. • Production, preparation and processing in the geographical area. • Protected Geographical Indications (art. 2.1.b) • Region name. • Product original from that region. • Quality or reputation dueto the geographical environment. • Production and/or preparation and/orprocessing in the geographical area. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

7. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs • APPLICATION • Applicationforregistration: • Free • Previousrequirements: • MemberStates: filingbeforenationalauthorities and nationalexaminationprocedure. • Thirdcountries: tothe DG AGRI of the EC. • Who can maketheapplication? • Thememberstateafter of theproducersapplication. • Thirdcountries: alsotheproducersdirectly. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

8. 2. Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs • Who will receive the application? • The European Comission, the Directorate-General of Agriculture of European Commission • The application should include at least: • The state application of register. • Declaration of the Member state stating that they meet the verification process. • Product specifications. • Single Document (short description) • The documents sent to the European Commission should be in one of the languages of the Member States. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

9. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs SCRUTINY: ScrutinybytheCommission: • DG AGRI willscrutinise: • Formal requirements (requireddocuments). • Material requirements (ProductSpecifications). • Itwillexaminate at thesame time threeapplicationsforeach country. • Theycouldmakesomeconsultationsrequestingaditionalinformation: • Abouttheproductspecificationsorthe single document. • Theyhave 6 monthstoanswer. • The DG AGRI willmakesomeconsultationstootherdeparments of theEuropeanCommission in ordertoknowtheirremarks. • Iftherequirements are fulfilled: publication at theOfficialJournal of theEuropeanUnion. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

10. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION: Withinsixmonthsfromthe date of publication in theOfficialJournal of theEuropeanUnionwith a dulysubstantiatedstatement. • Active legitimation: • MemberState. • ThirdStatemember of the WTO. • Objectionrequirements: • No compliancewiththe legal conditions. • Geographicalnamewhich has becomegeneric. • Procedure: • Consultsbetweenthestates. • Juditialway. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

11. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: • Basic document of the PDO/PGI. • Technicaldocumentwithsomespecifications and PDO/PGI and protectedproductscharacteristics. • Legal documentwhichstablishsomeobligationsforthe PDO/PGI members. • Twomainfunctions: • Explaining and substantiatingthereasonstoprotecttheproduct. • Statingsomeobligationsforthe PDO/PGI producers. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

12. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs • PDO/PGI Name. • In exceptional cases a name of a country. • RelationswithIntellectualPropertyRights. • Description of theproductcharacteristics: • Differentproductvarieties and ripestages. • Organolepticcharacteristics. • Definition of theGeographicalArea: • Clear and precise. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

13. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS. CONTENT: - The link betweentheproduct and thegeographicalarea: • Natural factors (weather, soil, pluviometry,…) • Humanfactors (traditions, cultural aspects,…) • Prestige and reputation (historical and currentpapersincludingpromotionactivities). - Description of theobtaining and elaborationmethods: • Harvestingpeculiarities. • Special and traditionalelaborationprocess. • Characteristics of thehuman´sinfluenceovertheproduct. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

14. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs • Control structures: • Independent body which shall guarantee the fulfilment of the Product Specifications. • The product certification bodies shall comply with the European Standard EN 45011 or ISO/IEC Guide 65. • Product trazability. • Details about labelling: • Use of their own logo • Fulfilment of the national legal requirements: • National recognition as a PDO/PGI rfernandez@lbabogados.com

15. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs EXCLUSIVE RIGHT:(ex art. 13) • exclusivityonthegeographicalname • fortheproductsthathavebeenprotected (sameor similar) • withinthe 27states of EU. IUS PROHIBENDI(Art. 13) • directorindirectcommercial use of thegeographicalname • actsimplyingmisuse, imitationorevocationeventhoughthe real origin of theproductisindicated. • the use of thenamesimplytranslatedorassociatedtoexpressionssuch as “type”, “style”, “method”, “as produced in” or similar. • anyother false ormisleadingindication as totheprovenance, origin, natureoressentialqualitities of theproductliabletoconvey a false impression as toitsorigin • anyotherpractiseliabletomisleadtheconsumer as tothe true origin of theproduct rfernandez@lbabogados.com

16. 2. Agricultural products and foodstuffs PDO/PGI LOGOS The indications “protected designation of origin”, “protected geographical indication or the community symbols associated with them shall appear on the labelling. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

17. 3. Wines • Protectiononlyforcertainproducts of Annex I of theRegulation 479/2008 (fordifferentkinds of most and wine). • Theapplicationforprotection of thegeographicalname as a DO or a GI shallbefiledbyanyinterestedgroup of producersor a single produceronlyforwineswhichthey produce. • Applicationsforprotectionshallinclude: • Thenametobeprotected. • Thename and address of theapplicant. • Theproductspecifications. • Single documentsummarisingthespecifications. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

18. 3. Wines CHOOSING A MODEL: DO or GI?(Art. 34 ) • Designation of Origin: • Name of a region, specific place or a country in exceptional cases. • Product original from that region. • Quality or characteristics due to the geographical environment + human factors. • The grapes for the production come exclusively from this geographical area. • The production takes place in the geographical area. • Obtained from vine varieties from Vitis vinifera. • Geographical indication: • Name of a region, specific place or a country in exceptional cases. • Quality or reputation due to the geographical environment. • At least 85% of the grapes used for its production come exclusively from the gepgraphical area. • The production takes place in the geographical area. • Obtained from vine varieties from Vitis vinifera, or a cross between Vitis vinifera and species of the genus Vitis. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

19. 3. Wines • For DO or GI namesfrommemberstatesannualverification of compliancewiththeproductspecifications, duringproduction, duringorafterconditioning of thewineorafterconditioning of thewineshallbeensuredby a competentauthorityor a control body (art. 48). • Forthirdcountries DO or GI willbe a publicauthorityor a certificationbody. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

20. 3. Wines PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: • DO/GI Name. • In exceptional cases a name of a country. • RelationswithIntellectualPropertyRights. • Description of thewinecharacteristics: • DO or GI ( analitical and organolepticcharacteristics). • Definition of theGeographicalArea: • Clear and precise. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

21. 3. Wines • The link between the wine and the geographical area: • Natural factors (weather, soil, pluviometry,…) • Human factors (traditions, cultural aspects,…) • Prestige and reputation (historical and current papers including promotion activities). • Description of the obtaining and elaboration methods: • Specific oenological practices used to make the wine. • Relevant restrictions on making the wine. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

22. 3.Wines • Control structures: • Independent body which shall guarantee the fulfilment of the Product Specifications. • The product certification bodies shall comply with the European Standard EN 45011 or ISO/IEC Guide 65. • Product trazability. • Fulfilment of the national legal requirements: • National recognition as a DO/GI rfernandez@lbabogados.com

23. 4. Spirits • Will only be protected as Geographical Indications the alcoholic drinks: • Intended for human consumption. • With particular organoleptic qualities. • Having a minimun alcoholic strenght of 15% vol. • Being produced by destilation, maceration, or by mixture of a spirit drink with other alcoholic drinks, drinks or spirits. • The ethyl alcohol for the production of spirit drinks will have an agricultural origin rfernandez@lbabogados.com

24. 4. Spirits • The application for the protection the geographical indications shall be duly subtantiated and include a technical file setting out the specifications that the Spirit must comply. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

25. 5. Traditional Specialities Guaranteed • The Regulation for TSGs was established by the EU at the same time that the Regulation for Agricultural products and foodstuffs. • For the protection of agricultural products or foodstuffs like chocolates, confectinery, bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits, baker´s wares, pasta, pre cooked meals, prepared condiment sauces, soups or broths, ice creams and sorbets (Annex I to the Regulation 509/2006). • The product shall be produced using traditional raw materials or be characterised by a traditional composition or a mode of production and/or processing reflecting a traditional type of production and/or processing. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

26. 5. Traditional Specialities Guaranteed • Toberegisteredthenameshall: • Be specific in itself(i.e.with a characteristicor set of characteristicswhichdistinguishesanagriculturalproductor a foodstuffclearlyfromother similar productsorfoodstuffs of thesamecategory). • Express theespecificcharacter of theagriculturalproductorfoodstuff. • Be traditional(i.e.provenusageontheCommunitymarketfor a time periodshowingtransmissionbetweengenerations, at least 25 years). • Theproceedingsforregistration, escrutiny, and objectionforregistration and verification of theproductwillbethesamethatforAgriculturalProducts and Foodstuffs. rfernandez@lbabogados.com

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28. Thank you for your attention!!! Rafael Fernández Ibiza rfernandez@lbabogados.com