I Legislative acts
REGULATIONS
★Regulation (EU)  2019/1753  of the European  Parliament  and of the Council  of 23 October  2019  on 
the action of t he Union  f ollowing its accession to the Geneva  Act of t he Lisbon  Agreement  on 
Appellations  of Origin  and Geographical  Indications   ............................................................... 1
II Non-legislative acts
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
★Council Decision  (EU)  2019/1754  of 7 Oct ober  2019  on t he accession of the European 
Union to the Geneva  Act  of the Lisbon  Agreement  on Appellations  of Origin  and Geographical 
Indications   .......................................................................................................................... 12
★Geneva Act  Of The  Lisbon  Agreement  On Appellations  Of Origin  And  Geographical  Indications 15Official Journal L 271
of the European Union
Volume  62
English  edition Legislation 24  October  2019
Contents
ENActs whose titles are printed in light type are those relating to day-to-day management of agricultural matters, and are generally valid for 
a
 limited period.
The titles of all other acts are printed in bold type and preceded by an asterisk.I
(Legislative acts)
REGULATIONS
REGULATION  (EU) 2019/1753  OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 23 October 2019
on the action of the Union following its accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on 
Appellations  
of Origin and Geographical Indications
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207  thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee  (1),
Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure  (2),
Wher
eas:
(1) In order for the Union to be fully able to exercise its exclusive competence in relation to its common commercial 
policy ,
 and in full compliance with its commitments under the Agreement on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intel­
lectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization, it will become a Contracting  Party to the 
Gene
va Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (‘the Geneva Act’) 
pursuant
 to Council Decision (EU) 2019/1754  (3) whic h also authorises Member States to ratify the Geneva Act 
or
 accede to it in the interest of the Union. The contracting parties to the Geneva Act are members of a Special 
Union created by the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Reg­
istr
ation (‘Special Union ’). In accordance with Decision (EU) 2019/1754,  the Union and the Member States that 
ha
ve ratified the Geneva Act or acceded to it are to be represented by the Commission in the Special Union as 
regards the Geneva Act.
(2) It is appr opriate to lay down rules allowing the Union to exercise the rights and to fulfil the obligations laid 
do
wn in the Geneva Act, on its behalf and on behalf of the Member States which ratify or accede to that Act.
(3) The Gene va Act protects appellations of origin, including designations of origin within the meaning of Regula­
tions
 (EU) No 1151 /2012  (4) and (EU) No 1308 /2013  (5) of the European Parliament and of the Council, as well 
as
 geographical indications within the meaning of Regulations (EU) No 1151 /2012, (EU) No 1308 /2013, (EU) 
No 251 /2014  (6) and (EU) 2019/787  (7) of the European Parliament and of the Council, which are together 
ref
erred to as ‘geographical indications ’ in this Regulation.
(1)OJ C 110,  22.3.2019,  p. 55 .
(2)Position  of  the  European  Parliament  of  16  April  2019  (not  yet  published  in  the  Official  Journal)  and  decision  of  the  Council  of 
7 October  2019 .
(3)Council Decision (EU) 2019/1754  of 7 October  2019  on the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agree­
ment  
on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (see page 12 of this Official Journal).
(4)R
egulation (EU) No 1151 /2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November  2012  on quality schemes for agricul­
tural
 products and foodstuffs ( OJ L 343,  14.12.2012,  p. 1).
(5)R
egulation (EU) No 1308 /2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December  2013  establishing a common organi­
sation
 of  the  markets  in  agricultural  products  and  repealing  Council  Regulations  (EEC)  No  922/72,  (EEC)  No  234/79,  (EC) 
No 1037 /2001 and (EC) No 1234 /2007 (OJ L 347,  20.12.2013,  p.  671).
(6)R
egulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26  February  2014  on the definition, description, pre­
sentation,
 labelling  and  the  protection  of  geographical  indications  of  aromatised  wine  products  and  repealing  Council  Regulation 
(EEC) No 1601 /91 (OJ L 84,  20.3.2014,  p. 14 ).
(7)R
egulation (EU) 2019/787  of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April  2019  on the definition, description, presenta­
tion 
and labelling of spirit drinks, the use of the names of spirit drinks in the presentation and labelling of other foodstuffs, the pro­
tection of geographical indications for spirit drinks, the use of ethyl alcohol and distillates of agricultural origin in alcoholic beverages, 
and repealing Regulation (EC) No 110 /2008 (OJ L 130,  17.5.2019,  p. 1 ).24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/1(4) Upon t he accession of the Union to the Geneva Act and thereafter on a regular basis, t he Commission should 
file with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (‘the Int ernational Bureau ’) 
applications f
or the international registration of geographical indications originating and protected in the terri­
tory of the Union in the register of the International Bureau (‘the Int ernational Register ’). Suc h applications 
should be based on notifications from Member States that act on their own initiative or at the request of 
a natural person or legal entity as referred to in point (ii) o f Article 5(2)  of the Geneva Act or of a beneficiary as 
defined in point (xvii) of Article 1  thereof. When preparing the notifications, Member States should consider the 
economic
 interest in international protection of the geographical indications concerned and take into account, in 
particular, the production value and the export value, protection under other agreements, as well as current or 
potential misuse in third countries.
(5) The registr ation of geographical indications in the International Register should serve the purposes of providing 
quality products, fair competition and consumer protection. Given their significant cultural and economic value, 
the registration of geographical indications should be assessed with respect to the value created for local commu­
nities, with a view t o supporting rural development and promoting new job opportunities in production, pro­
cessing and other related services.
(6) In order to establish an ongoing dialogue with relevant stakeholders, the Commission should use existing mecha­
nisms
 to consult Member States, trade associations and Union producers regularly.
(7) Appropriate pr ocedures should be established for the Commission to assess geographical indications originating 
in the Contracting Parties to the Geneva Act that are not Member States (‘third Contr acting Parties ’), and regis­
t
ered in the International Register, in order to take decisions with regard to protection in the Union and to invali­
date such protection, where relevant.
(8) Enforcement b y the Union of the protection of geographical indications that originate in third Contracting Par­
ties and that are registered in the International Register should be carried out in accordance with Chapter III  of 
t
he Geneva Act, in particular with Article 14  t hereof, which requires each Contracting Party to make effective 
legal remedies available for the protection of registered geographical indications and provide that legal proceed­
ings for ensuring protection of such indications can be brought by a public authority or by any interested party, 
whether a natural person or a legal entity, whether public or private, in accordance with that Contracting Party’s 
leg
al system and practice.
(9) With a view to ensuring the protection of Union, regional and national trade marks alongside geographical indi­
cations, having regard to the safeguard in respect of prior trade mark rights as set out in Article 13(1)  of t he 
Geneva Act, coexistence of prior trade marks and geographical indications registered in the International Register 
which are granted protection or used in the Union should be safeguarded.
(10) Given t he exclusive competence of the Union in relation to the common commercial policy, Member States 
which are not already party to the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their 
International Registration of 1958 as revised at Stockholm on July 14,  1967  and amended on September 28, 
1979  (‘the Lisbon Agreement ’), should not ratify or accede to that Agreement.
(11) The Member S tates which are already party to the Lisbon Agreement should be allowed to remain as such, in 
particular to ensure the continuity of rights granted under, and the fulfilment of obligations laid down in, that 
agreement. However, they should act solely in the interest of the Union and in full respect of the exclusive com­
petence of the Union. Those Member States should therefore exercise their rights and obligations under the Lis­
bon Agreement in full compliance with the authorisation granted by the Union pursuant to this Regulation. In 
order to respect the uniform protection system for geographical indications established in the Union as regards 
agricultural products and in order to further enhance harmonisation within the internal market, those Member 
States should not register under the Lisbon Agreement any new appellations of origin for products falling within 
the scope of Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012, (EU) No 1308 /2013, (EU) No 251 /2014 or (EU) 2019/787.
(12) The Member States which are already party to the Lisbon Agreement have registered appellations of origin under 
t
he Lisbon Agreement. Transitional arrangements should be provided for so as to make continued protection of 
those appellations of origin possible, subject to the requirements of that agreement, the Geneva Act and Union 
law.L 271/2 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019(13) The Member S t ates which are already party to the Lisbon Agreement protect appellations of origin of third par­
ties to that agreement. In order to provide them with the means to fulfil their international obligations assumed 
before the accession of the Union to the Geneva Act, a transitional arrangement, which should produce effects at 
national
 level only and have no effect on intra-Union or international trade, should be provided for.
(14) It is appr opriate that the fees to be paid under the Geneva Act and the Common Regulations under the Lisbon 
A
greement and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement (the ‘Common Regulations ’) for filing an application 
wit
h the International Bureau for the international registration of a geographical indication, as well as the fees to 
be paid in respect
 of other entries in the International Register and for the supply of extracts, attestations, or 
other information concerning the contents of that international registration, should be borne by the Member 
State in which the geographical indication originates, by a natural person or legal entity as referred to in point 
(ii)
 of Article 5(2)  of the Geneva Act or by a  beneficiary as defined  in point (xvii) of Article 1  thereof. Member 
S
tates should have the option of requiring that natural person, legal entity or beneficiary to pay some or all of 
the fees.
(15) In or der to defray any shortfall in relation to the operating budget of the Special Union, the Union should be 
able
 to provide, within the means available for this purpose in the annual budget of the Union, for a special 
contribution
 as decided by the Assembly of the Special Union pursuant to Article 24(4)  of the Geneva Act, given 
the
 economic and cultural value of geographical indications protection.
(16) In or der to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of the Union’s membership of the Special Union, 
im
plementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to establish a list of geographical indications to 
be
 included in the application to be filed for their international registration with the International Bureau upon 
accession to the Geneva Act and for any subsequent filing of an application, to reject an opposition, to decide 
whether to grant protection of a geographical indication registered in the International Register, to withdraw the 
refusal of t he
 effects of an international registration, to request the cancellation of an international registration, 
to notify the invalidation of the protection in the Union of a geographical indication register ed in the Interna­
tional Register, as well as to authorise Member States to provide for any necessary modifications in respect of the 
appellation of origin for a product which  is protected under Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012, (EU) 
No 1308 /2013, (EU) No 251 /2014 or (EU) 2019/787  and to notify the International Bureau thereof. Those 
po
wers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of 
the
 Council  (8).
(17) In
 accor dance with the principle of proportionality, it is necessary and appropriate, for the achievement of the 
basic
 objective of enabling the Union to participate in the Special Union in a w ay which will ensure efficient 
pr
otection of EU geographical indications at international level, to lay down rules and procedures concerning 
actions of the Union following its accession to the Geneva Act. This Regulation does not go beyond what is 
necessary in order to achieve the objective pursued, in accordance with Article 5(4)  of the Treaty on European 
U
nion.
(18) It is im portant to ensure that the Commission monitors and evaluates the participation of the Union in the 
Gene
va Act over time. In order to conduct such an evaluation, the Commission should, inter alia, take into 
account the number of geographical indications protected and registered under Union law for which applications 
for international registration have been submitted, cases where protection has been rejected by third Contracting 
Parties, the evolution of the number of third countries participating in the Geneva Act, the action taken by the 
Commission to increase that number, as well as the impact of the current state of Union law as regards geo­
graphical indications on the attractiveness of the Geneva Act to third countries, and the number and type of 
geographical indications that originate from third Contracting Parties and that have been rejected by the Union,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Subject matter
1. This R egulation establishes rules and procedures concerning actions of the Union following its accession to the 
Gene
va Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (‘the Geneva Act’).
(8)Regulation (EU) No 182 /2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February  2011  laying down the rules and general 
principles
 concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 
28.2.2011,  p. 13).24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/32. For t he purpose of this Regulation, the term ‘geographical indications ’ co vers appellations of origin within the 
meaning of the Geneva Act, including designations of origin within the meaning of Regulations (EU) No 1151 /2012 
and (EU) No 1308/2013, as w ell as geographical indications within the meaning of Regulations (EU) No 1151 /2012, 
(EU)
 No 1308/2013, (EU) No 251/2014 and (EU) 2019/787.
Article 2
International registration of geographical indications
1. Upon the accession of the Union to the Geneva Act and thereafter on a regular basis, the Commission shall, in its 
capacity as Competent Authority within the meaning of Article 3  of t he Geneva Act, file applications for the interna­
tional registration of geographical indications protected and registered under Union law and pertaining to products orig­
inating in the Union pursuant to Article 5(1)  and (2) o f t he Geneva Act with the International Bureau of the World 
Intellectual Property Organization ( ‘the International Bureau ’).
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1, Member States may request the Commission to register in the International Regis­
ter geographical indications that originate in their territory and that are protected and registered under Union law. Such 
requests shall be based on:
(a) a request b y a natural per son or legal entity as referred to in point (ii) o f Article 5(2)  of t he Geneva Act or by 
a beneficiary as defined in point (xvii) of Article 1  of the Geneva Act; or
(b) their own initiative.
3. On t he basis of such requests, the Commission shall adopt implementing acts listing the geographical indications 
referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination 
procedure referred to in Article 15(2).
Article 3
Cancellation of a geographical  indication that originates in a Member  State and is registered in the Interna­
tional
 Register
1. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act in order to request the International Bureau to cancel a registra­
tion in t he International Register of a geographical indication or iginating in a Member  S tate, in any of the following 
circumstances:
(a) the geographical indication is no longer protected in the Union;
(b) at the request of the Member State in which the geographical indication originates, based on:
(i)a request b y a natural per son or legal entity as referred to in point (ii) of Article 5(2)  of t he Geneva Act or by 
a beneficiary as defined in point (xvii) of Article 1  of the Geneva Act; or
(ii) its own initiative.
2. The implementing act referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examina­
tion
 procedure referred to in Article 15(2).
3. The Commission shall, without delay, notify the International Bureau of the request for cancellation.
Article 4
Publication of third country geographical indications registered in the International Register
1. The Commission shall publish an y international registration notified by the International Bureau pursuant to 
Article 6(4)  of the Geneva Act, that:
(a) concerns g eographical indications registered in the International Register in respect of which the Contracting Party 
of Origin, as defined under point (xv) o f Article 1  of the Geneva Act, is not a Member  State; and
(b) relates to a product in respect of which protection at Union level of geographical indications is provided.
2. The international registration referred to in paragraph 1 shall be published in the C series of the Official Journal of 
the European Union . The publication shall include a reference to the product type and country of origin.L 271/4 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Article 5
Assessment of third country geographical indications registered in the International Register
1. The Commission shall assess an y international registration notified by the International Bureau pursuant to 
Article 6(4)  of t he Geneva Act concerning the geographical indications registered in the International Register and in 
respect of which the Contracting Party of Origin, as defined under point (xv) of Article 1  of t he Geneva Act, is not 
a Member  S tate, in order to determine whether it includes the mandatory contents laid down in Rule 5(2) of the Com­
mon Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act (the ‘Common R egulations ’), and t he particulars 
concerning the quality, reputation or characteristics as laid down in Rule 5(3) of the Common Regulations, and to verify 
whether the publication referred to in Article 4  relat es to a product in respect of whic h protection at Union level of 
geographical indications is provided.
2. The assessment r eferred to in paragraph 1 shall be carried out within four months from the date of the registra­
tion of the geographical indication in the International Register and shall not include an assessment of other specific 
Union provisions relating to the placing of products on the market and, in particular, to sanitary and phytosanitary 
standards, marketing standards or food labelling.
Article 6
Opposition procedure for third country geographical indications registered in the International Register
1. Within four months from the date of publication of the international registration in accordance with Article 4,  the 
aut
horities of a Member  S tate or of a third countr y other than the Contracting Party of Origin as defined under point 
(xv) o f Article 1  of the Geneva Act, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established in the Union 
or in a third country other than the Contracting Party of Origin, may lodge an opposition with the Commission.
The opposition shall be in one of the official languages of the institutions of the Union.
2. The opposition ref erred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be admissible only if it is lodged within the time 
limit set out in paragraph 1 of this Article and if it is based upon one or more of the following grounds:
(a) the g eographical indication registered in the International Register conflicts with a name of a plant v ariety or an 
animal breed and is likely to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product;
(b) the g eographical indication registered in the International Register is wholly or partially homonymous with 
a geographical indication already protected in the Union and there is insufficient distinction in practice between the 
conditions of local and tr
aditional usage and presentation of the geographical indication proposed for protection 
and the geographical indication already protected in the Union, taking into account the need to ensure equitable 
treatment of the producers concerned and not to mislead consumers;
(c) the pr otection in the Union of the geographical indication registered in the International Register would infringe 
a prior trade mark right at Union, regional or national level;
(d) the pr otection in the Union of the third country geographical indication would jeopardise the use of an entirely or 
partly identical name or the exclusive nature of a trade mark at Union, regional, or national level or the existence of 
pr
oducts which have been legally placed on the market for at least five years preceding the date of the publication of 
the international registration in accordance with Article 4;
(e) the g eographical indication registered in the International Register relates to a product in r espect of which protec­
tion at Union level of geographical indications is not provided;
(f) the name for which registration is requested is a generic term in the territory of the Union;
(g) the conditions referred to in points (i) and (ii) o f Article 2(1)  of the Geneva Act are not complied with;
(h) the geographical indication registered in the International Register is a homonymous name which misleads the con­
sumer int
o believing that products come from another territory, even if the name is accurate as far as the actual 
territory, region or place of origin of the products in question is concerned.
3. The grounds for opposition set out in paragraph 2 shall be assessed by the Commission in relation to the territory 
of
 the Union or part thereof.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/5Article 7
Decision on protection in the Union of third country geographical indications registered in the International 
R
egister
1. Where, based on t he assessment carried out pursuant to Article 5,  t he conditions laid down in that Article are 
fulfilled and no opposition or no admissible opposition has been received, the Commission shall, as appropriate, by 
means of an implementing act, reject any inadmissible opposition and decide to grant protection of the geographical 
indication. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in 
Article 15(2).
2. Where, based on the assessment carried out pursuant to Article 5,  the conditions laid down in that Article are not 
fulf
illed or an admissible opposition as set out in Article 6(2)  has been r eceived, the Commission shall, by means of an 
implementing act, decide whether to grant protection of a geographical indication regist ered in the International Regis­
ter. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 15(2). 
In respect of g eographical indications covering products not falling within the competence of the committees provided 
in Article 15(1),  the decision whether to grant protection shall be adopted by the Commission.
3. The decision t o grant protection of a geographical indication in accor dance with paragraph 1 or 2 of this Article 
shall set out the scope of protection granted and may include conditions which are compatible with the Geneva Act, 
and in particular grant a defined tr ansitional period as specified in Article 17  of t he Geneva Act and Rule 14 of the 
Common Regulations.
4. In accor dance with Article 15(1)  of t he Geneva Act, the Commission shall notify the International Bureau of the 
refusal of the effects of the international registration concerned in the territory of the Union, within one year from the 
receipt of the notification of international registration in accordance with Article 6(4)  of the Geneva Act, or, in the cases 
ref
erred to in the first paragraph of Article 5  of Decision (EU) 2019/1754,  wit hin two years from the receipt of that 
notification.
5. The Commission ma y, on its own initiative or following a duly subst antiated request by a Member  S tate, a third 
countr
y or a natural or leg al person having a legitimate int erest, withdraw, in whole or in part, by means of an imple­
menting act, a refusal pr eviously notified to the International Bureau. That implementing act shall be adopted in accor­
dance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 15(2).
The Commission shall notify the International Bureau of such withdrawal without delay.
Article 8
Use of geographical indications
1. The im plementing acts adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 7  shall appl y without prejudice to other 
specific Union provisions relating to the placing of products on the market and, in particular, to the common organisa­
tion of agricultural markets, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and food labelling.
2. Subject to paragraph 1, geographical indications protected pursuant to this Regulation may be used by any opera­
t
or marketing a product in accordance with the international registration of those geographical indications.
Article 9
Invalidation of effects in the Union of a third  country geographical indication registered in the International 
R
egister
1. The Commission ma y, on its own initiative or following a duly subst antiated request by a Member  S tate, a third 
country or a natural or leg al person having a legitimate int erest, invalidate, in whole or in part, by means of an imple­
menting act, t he effects of protection in the Union of a geographical indication, in one or more of t he following 
circumstances:
(a) the geographical indication is no longer protected in the Contracting Party of Origin;
(b) the geographical indication is no longer registered in the International Register;
(c) compliance with the mandatory contents laid down in Rule 5(2) of the Common Regulations or with the particulars 
concer
ning the quality, reputation or characteristics as laid down in Rule 5(3) of the Common Regulations is no 
longer ensured.L 271/6 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.20192. The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examina­
tion pr ocedur
e referred to in Article 15(2)  and only after the natural persons or legal entities as referred to in point 
(ii)
 of Article 5(2)  of the Geneva Act or the beneficiaries as defined in point (xvii) of Ar ticle 1  of the Geneva Act have 
been
 given an opportunity to defend their rights.
3. Where t he invalidation is no longer subject to appeal, the Commission shall notify the International Bureau with­
out
 delay of the invalidation of the effects in the territory of the Union of the international registration of the geograph­
ical indication in accordance with point (a) or (c)  o f paragraph 1.
Article 10
Relationship with trade marks
1. The pr otection of a  geographical indication shall not prejudice the validity of a  prior trade mark at Union, 
regional
 or national level applied for or registered in good faith, or acquired through use in good faith in the territory of 
a Member  State, regional union of Member States or the Union.
2. A geographical indication r egis tered in the International Register shall not be protected in the territory of the 
Union where, in the light of a trade mar k’s reputation and renown and the length of time it has been used, protection 
of
 that geographical indication in the territory of the Union would be liable to mislead the consumer as to the true 
identity of the product.
3. Without pr ejudice to paragraph 2, a  trade mark which has been applied for or registered in good faith, or 
acq
uired through use, if that possibility is provided for by the applicable law, in good faith within the territory of 
a Member  State, regional union of Member States or the Union, before the date on which the International Bureau has 
no
tified the Commission of the publication of the International Registration of the geographical indication, and the use 
of which would contravene the protection of the geographical indication, may continue to be used and renewed for the 
product concerned notwithstanding the protection of the geographical indication, provided that no grounds for invalid­
ity or revocation exist under Regulation (EU) 2017/1001  of the European Parliament and of the Council  (9) or under 
Directiv
e (EU) 2015/2436  of the European Parliament and the Council  (10). In such cases, both the use of the geographi­
cal 
indication and the use of the trade mark concerned shall be permitted.
Article 11
Transitional provisions for appellations of origin originating in Member States already registered under the 
Lisbon  
Agreement
1. In respect of each appellation of origin originating in a Member  State which is party to the Lisbon Agreement, for 
a product t hat is protected under one of the Regulations referred to in Ar ticle 1  of this Regulation, the Member State 
concer
ned shall, on the basis of a request by a natural person or legal entity as referred to in point (ii)  of Article 5(2)  of 
the Geneva Act or a beneficiary as defined in point (xvii) of Article 1  of the Geneva Act, or on its own initiative, choose 
to request either:
(a) the international registration of that appellation of origin under the Geneva Act, if the Member State concerned has 
ratif
ied or acceded to the Geneva Act pursuant to the authorisation referred to in Article 3  of Decision (EU) 
2019/1754;  or
(b) the cancellation of the registration of that appellation of origin in the International Register.
The Member S t ate concerned shall notify the Commission of the choice referred to in the first subparagraph by 
14 November  2022.
In the situations referred to in point (a)  of the first subparagraph, the Member State concerned shall, in coordination 
wit
h the Commission, verify with the International Bureau whether there are any modifications to be made under Rule 
7(4) of the Common Regulations for the purpose of registration under the Geneva Act.
The Commission shall, b y  means of an implementing act, authorise the Member State concerned to provide for the 
necessary modifications and to notify the International Bureau. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance 
with the examination procedure referred to in Article 15(2).
(9)Regulation (EU) 2017/1001  of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June  2017  on the European Union trade mark 
(OJ L 154,  16.6.2017,  p. 1 ).
(10)Directive (EU) 2015/2436  of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 December  2015  to approximate the laws of the Mem­
ber 
States relating to trade marks (OJ L 336,  23.12.2015,  p. 1).24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/72. In respect of each appellation of origin originating in a Member  State which is party to the Lisbon Agreement, for 
a product falling within the scope of one of the Regulations referred to in Article 1(2)  of t his Regulation, but not pro­
tected under an y of those Regulations, the Member State concerned shall, on the basis of a request by a natural per son 
or leg al entity referred to in point (ii) of Article 5(2)  of t he Geneva Act or a beneficiary as def ined in point (xvii) of 
Article 1  of the Geneva Act, or on its own initiative, choose to request either:
(a) the registration of that appellation of origin under the Regulation concerned; or
(b) the cancellation of the registration of that appellation of origin in the International Register.
The Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of the choice referred to in the first subparagraph, and lodge 
t
he respective request, by 14 November  2022 .
In the situations referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph, the Member State concerned shall request the interna­
tional
 registration of that appellation of origin under the Geneva Act, if that Member State has ratified or acceded to the 
Geneva Act pursuant to the authorisation referred to in Article 3  of Decision (EU) 2019/1754,  within one year from the 
dat
e of registration of the geographical indication under the applicable Regulation. The third and fourth subparagraphs 
of paragraph 1 shall apply.
If the request for registration under the applicable Regulation is refused and related administrative and judicial remedies 
ha
ve been exhausted, or if the request for registration under the Geneva Act has not been made pursuant to the third 
subparagraph of this paragraph, the Member State concerned shall, without delay, request the cancellation of the regis­
tration of that appellation of origin in the International Register.
3. In r espect of appellations of origin for products not falling within the scope of one of the Regulations referred to 
in Article 1(2)  of t his Regulation, in respect of which protection at Union level of geographical indications is not pro­
vided, a Member  S tate which is already party to the Lisbon Agreement may maintain any existing registration in the 
International Register.
Such a Member  State may also submit further applications for registration in the International Register under the Lisbon 
A
greement of such appellations of origin originating in its territory if the following conditions are met:
(a) the Member S tate concerned notified the Commission of the draft application for registration of such appellations 
of origin; such notification shall include evidence that the application satisfies the requirements for registration 
under the Lisbon Agreement; and
(b) the Commission has no t issued a negative opinion wit hin two months of such notification; a negative opinion ma y 
only be issued after consultation with the Member State concerned, and in the exceptional and duly justified cases 
where the evidence required under point (a) d oes no t sufficiently substantiate that the requirements for registration 
under the Lisbon Agreement are met, or if the registration would have an adverse impact on the Union trade policy.
In t he case of a request f or further information from the Commission on the notification made under point (a) of t he 
second subparagraph, the deadline for the Commission to act shall be one month from the receipt of the information 
requested.
The Commission shall immediat ely inform the other Member States about any notification made under point (a) o f t he 
second subparagraph.
Article 12
Transitional protection for appellations of origin originating in a third  country registered under the Lisbon 
A
greement
1. The Member S tates which were party to the Lisbon Agreement before the accession of the Union to the Geneva 
Act may continue to protect appellations of origin originating in a third countr y which is party to the Lisbon Agree­
ment by means of a national pr otection system, with effect from the date on which the Union becomes a contracting 
par
ty to the Geneva Act, as regards appellations of origin registered by that date under the Lisbon Agreement.L 271/8 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.20192. The protection referred to in paragraph 1 shall:
(a) be superseded by protection under the Union protection system for a particular appellation of origin if it is provided 
by
 a decision taken under Article 7  of this Regulation subsequent to the accession of the third country concerned to 
the
 Geneva Act, on condition that the protection provided by a decision taken under Ar ticle 7  of this Regulation 
preser
ves the continuity of protection of the respective appellation of origin in the respective Member State;
(b) cease for a particular appellation of origin when the effects of international registration end.
3. Where an appellation of or igin  originating in a third country is not registered under this Regulation, or the 
national
 protection is not superseded in accordance with point (a) o f paragraph 2, the consequences of such national 
pr
otection shall be the sole responsibility of the Member State concerned.
4. The measures t ak en by Member States under paragraph 1 shall have effects at national level only, and shall have 
no effect on intra-Union or international trade.
5. The Member S t ates referred to in paragraph 1 shall transmit to the Commission any notification made by the 
International Bureau under the Lisbon Agreement. The Commission shall then transmit that notification to all other 
Member States.
6. The Member S t ates referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall declare to the International Bureau that they 
cannot ensure national protection of an appellation of origin for a product falling within the scope of one of the Regu­
lations refer
red to in Article 1(2)  of t his Regulation, registered and notified to them under the Lisbon Agreement from 
t
he date on which the Union becomes a Contracting  Party to the Geneva Act.
Article 13
Fees
Fees t o be paid under Ar ticle 7  of the Geneva Act, as specified in the Common Regulations, shall be borne by the 
Member
 State in which the geographical indication originates, or by a natural person or legal entity as referred to in 
point
 (ii) o f Article 5(2)  of the Geneva Act or by a beneficiary as defined in point (xvii) of Article 1  of the Geneva Act. 
Member 
States may require that natural person or legal entity or beneficiary to pay some or all of the fees.
Article 14
Special financial contribution
If the income from the Special Union is derived in accordance with point (v)  of Article 24(2)  of the Geneva Act, the 
U
nion may make a special contribution within the means available for that purpose from the annual budget of the 
U
nion.
Article 15
Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assist ed  by the following committees within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 
No 182/2011, in respect of the following products:
(a) for wine-sect or  products falling within the scope of Article 92(1)  of Regulation (EU) N o 1308 /2013, by the Com­
mitt
ee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets established by Article 229  of that Regulation;
(b) for aromatised wine products as defined in Article 3  of Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, by the Committee on aroma­
tised  
wine products established by Article 34  of that Regulation;
(c) for spir it drinks as defined in Ar ticle 2  of Regulation (EC) N o 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council  (11), by the Committee for Spirit Drinks referred to in Ar ticle 47  of Regulation (EU) 2019/787;
(11)Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January  2008  on the definition, description, pre­
sent ation,
 labelling  and  the  protection  of  geographical  indications  of  spirit  drinks  and  repealing  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 1576 /89 (OJ L 39,  13.2.2008,  p. 16), partly in force until 24 May  2021 .24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/9(d) for ag ricultural products and foodstuffs falling within the scope of the first subparagraph of Article 2(1)  of R egula­
tion (EU) No 1151 /2012, b y the Agricultural Product Quality Policy Committee established by Article 57  of t hat 
Regulation.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5  of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Article 16
Monitoring and review
By 14 N ovember  2021 , t he Commission shall assess the participation of the Union in the Geneva Act and submit 
a report on t he main findings to the European Parliament and to the Council. The assessment shall be based, inter alia, 
on the following aspects:
(a) the number of g eographical indications which are protected and registered under Union law and for which applica­
tions for international registration have been submitted, and the cases in which the protection was rejected by third 
Contracting Parties;
(b) the evolution in the number of third countries participating in the Geneva Act and the action taken by the Commis­
sion
 to increase that number, as well as the impact of the current state of Union law as regards geographical indica­
tions on the attractiveness of the Geneva Act to third countries; and
(c) the number and type of third country geographical indications which have been rejected by the Union.
Article 17
Entry into force
This R egulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Jour nal of the 
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Strasbourg, 23 October  2019 .
For the European Parliament
The President
D. M. SASSOLIFor the Council
The President
T. TUPPURAINENL 271/10 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Statement by the Commission on the possible extension of EU geographical indication protection to non-
ag
ricultural products
The Commission t akes note of the European Parliament resolution of 6 Oct ober  2015  on t he possible extension of EU 
geographical indication protection to non-agricultural products.
The Commission launc hed a study in N ovember 2018 to get further economic and legal evidence on the protection of 
non-agricultural GIs within the Single Market, as a complement to a study of 2013, and to obtain further data on issues 
suc
h as competitiveness, unfair competition, counterfeiting, consumer perceptions, costs/benefits as well as on the effec­
tiveness of non-agricultural GI protection models in light of the proportionality principle.
In accor dance with the principles of Better Regulation and to the commitments laid down in the Interinstitutional 
Agreement of 13 Apr il  2016  on Be tter Law-Making, the Commission will examine the study as well as the report on 
the participation of the Union in the Geneva Act as referred to in the Article on monitoring and review of the Regula­
tion on the action of the Union following its accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of 
Origin and Geographical Indications and consider any possible next steps.
Statement by the Commission on the procedure set out in Article 11(3)  of the Regulation
The Commission notes that whilst the procedure set out in Article 11(3)  of the Regulation is a legal necessity given the 
e
xclusive competence of the Union it can nevertheless state that in the context of the current EU acquis any such inter­
vention of the Commission would be exceptional and duly justified. During consultations with a Member  S tate, the 
Commission will make every effort in order to resolve together with the Member State any concerns in order to avoid 
the issuing of a negative opinion. The Commission no tes that any negative opinion would be notified in writing to the 
Member State concerned and pursuant to Article 296  TFEU w ould state the reasons on which it was based. The Com­
mission would further note that a negative opinion would not preclude the submission of a further application concern­
ing
 the same appellation of origin, if the reasons for the negative opinion have been duly addressed thereafter or are no 
longer applicable.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/11II
(Non-legislative acts)
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
COUNCIL DECISION  (EU) 2019/1754
of 7 October 2019
on t he accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on 
Appellations
 of Origin and Geographical Indications
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having r egard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Ar ticle 207  in conjunction 
with
 point (a) of  Article 218(6)  thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament,
Whereas:
(1) The Lisbon A g reement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration of 
31 October  1958  (‘the Lisbon Ag reement ’) created a  special union (‘the Special Union ’ ) within the framework of 
t
he Union for the Protection of Industrial Property which was established by the Convention for the Protection 
of Industrial Property signed in Paris on 20 March  1883  (‘the Paris Convention ’). Under the terms of the Lisbon 
A
greement, the contracting parties undertake to protect on their territories the appellations of origin of products 
of the other countries within the Special Union which are recognised and protected as such in the country of 
origin and which are registered at the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization 
(WIPO), unless those parties declare, within a period of one year  from the receipt of the notification of such 
a registration, that they cannot ensure such protection.
(2) Seven Member S t ates are parties to the Lisbon Agreement, namely Bulgaria (since 1975), the Czech Republic 
(since 1993), France (since 1966), Italy (since 1968), Hungary (since 1967), Portugal (since 1966) and Slovakia 
(since 1993). Three other Member States have signed, but not ratified the Lisbon Agreement, namely Greece, 
Spain and Romania. The Union itself is not a party to the Lisbon Agreement as it provides that only countries 
can
 accede to it.
(3) On 20 May  2015 , the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indica­
tions  
(‘the Geneva Act ’) was adopted which revised the Lisbon Agreement. In particular, the Geneva Act expands 
t
he scope of the Special Union in order to extend the protection of appellations of origin of products to all 
geographical indications within the meaning of the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade-Related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The Geneva Act is compatible with that agreement and with relevant 
Union law on the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products, and 
allows intergovernmental organisations to become contracting parties to it.
(4) The U nion has exclusive competence for the areas covered by the Geneva Act. This was confirmed in the judge­
ment
 of the Court of Justice of 25 October  2017  in Case C-389/15  (1) whic h clarified that the draft revised 
Lisbon
 Agreement, which has been subsequently adopted as the Geneva Act, is essentially intended to facilitate 
and govern trade between the Union and the third States party to the Lisbon Agreement and has direct and 
immediate effects on such trade. Therefore the negotiation of the Geneva Act fell within the exclusive compe­
tence of the Union pursuant to point (e) o f Article 3(1)  TFEU as it was within the field of the common commer­
cial policy ref er
red to in Article 207(1)  TFEU, in particular with regard to the commercial aspects of intellectual 
pr
operty.
(1)Judgment of the Court of Justice of 25 October  2017 , Commission v Council,  C-389/15,  ECLI:EU:C:2017:798.L 271/12 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019(5) Regarding cer tain agricultural products, the Union has established uniform and comprehensive protection sys­
tems for geographical indications for wines (1970), spirits (1989), aromatised wines (1991) and other agricul­
tural products and foodstuffs (1992). Based on the exclusive competence of the Union under Article 3  TFEU , 
Member States should not have national protection systems to protect agricultural designations of origin and 
geographical indications of third country members of the Special Union. However, since the Union is not 
a contracting par ty to the Geneva Act, it cannot submit agricultural designations of origin and geographical 
indications registered at Union level for protection within the Special Union, nor can it protect third country 
members’ designations of origin and geographical indications by means of the protection systems established by 
the Union in accordance with the Geneva Act.
(6) In or der for the Union to be able to properly exercise its exclusive competence for the areas covered by the 
Geneva Act and its functions in the context of its comprehensive protection systems for agricultural designations 
of origin and geographical indications, the Union should accede to the Geneva Act and become a contracting 
par
ty thereto.
(7) The U nion’s accession to the Geneva Act is in accordance with Article 17(2)  of t he Charter of Fundamental 
Rights of the European Union, which provides for the protection of intellectual property.
(8) The Union should endeaveour to regularise the issue of its voting rights in the Assembly of the Special Union of 
t
he Geneva Act in order to ensure its effective participation in the decision-making procedures, in view of point 
(b)(ii)  of Article 22(4)  of the Geneva Act. It is therefore appropriate that the Member States which wish to do so, 
should also be aut
horised to ratify or to accede to, as appropriate, alongside the Union the Geneva Act in the 
interest of the Union.
(9) At t he same time, this will allow to ensure the continuity of rights resulting from the existing membership of 
seven Member States in the Special Union.
(10) The ratification or accession by the Member States should however fully respect the exclusive competence of the 
U
nion, and the Union should remain responsible for ensuring the exercise of the rights and fulfilment of the 
obligations of the Union and the Member States under the Geneva Act.
(11) In the Special Union, the Union and those Member States having ratified or acceded to the Geneva Act are repre­
sent
ed by the Commission in accordance with Article 17(1)  of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The accession of t he European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geo­
graphical Indications (‘the Geneva Act’) is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.
The text of the Geneva Act is attached to this Decision.
Article 2
The President of t he Council shall designate the person empowered to deposit, on behalf of the Union, the instrument 
of accession provided for in point (ii) of Article 28(2)  of t he Geneva Act, in order to express the consent of the Union 
to be bound by the Geneva Act, as well as to make the declaration and notification attached to the instrument of acces­
sion provided for in Article 5  of this Decision.
Article 3
Member S tates which wish to do so, are hereby authorised to ratify or accede to, as appropriate, alongside the Union, 
the Geneva Act in the interest of the Union and in full respect of its exclusive competence.
Article 4
1. In t he Special Union, the Union and any Member States which ratifies or accedes to the Geneva Act pursuant to 
Article 3  of t his Decision shall be represented by the Commission in accordance with Article 17(1)  TEU . The Union 
shall be responsible for ensuring the exercise of the rights and fulfillment of the obligations of the Union and of the 
Member States which ratify or accede to the Geneva Act pursuant to Article 3  of this Decision.
The Commission shall mak e all the necessary notifications under the Geneva Act on behalf of the Union and those 
Member States.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/13In par ticular, the Commission shall be designated as the Competent Authority referred to in Article 3  of t he Geneva 
Act, responsible for the administration of the Geneva Act in the territory of the Union and for communications with 
the International Bureau of the WIPO under the Geneva Act and the Common Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement 
and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement (the ‘Common Regulations ’).
2. The Union shall vote in the Assembly of the Special Union and the Member States which have ratified or acceded 
t
o the Geneva Act shall not exercise their right to vote.
Article 5
In accor dance with Article 29(4)  of t he Geneva Act, a declaration att ached to the instrument of accession shall specify 
an extension by one year of the time limit referred to in Article 15(1)  of the Geneva Act, and the periods referred to in 
Article 17  of the Geneva Act, in accordance with the procedures specified in the Common Regulations.
In accor dance with point (a) of R ule 5(3) of the Common Regulations, a notification t o the Director-General of WIPO 
attached to the instrument of accession shall specify the requirement that, for the protection of a registered appellation 
of or
igin or geographical indication in the territory of the Union, the application shall, in addition to the mandatory 
contents set out in Rule 5(2) of the Common Regulations, indicate particulars concerning, in the case of an appellation 
of origin, the quality or characteristics of the good and its connection with the geographical environment of the geo­
graphical area of production, and, in the case of a geographical indication, the quality, reputation or other characteristic 
of
 the good and its connection with the geographical area of origin.
Article 6
This Decision shall ent er into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Jour nal of the 
European Union.
Done at Luxembourg, 7 October  2019 .
For the Council
The President
A.-M. HENRIKSSONL 271/14 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019GENEVA A CT OF THE LISBON AGREEMENT ON APPELLATIONS OF ORIGIN AND 
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
List of Articles
Chapter I: Introductory and General Provisions
Article 1: Abbreviated Expressions
Article 2: Subject-Matter
Article 3: Competent Authority
Article 4: International Register
Chapter II: Application and International Registration
Article 5: Application
Article 6: International Registration
Article 7: Fees
Article 8: Period of Validity of International Registrations
Chapter III: Protection
Article 9: Commitment to Protect
Article 10: Protection Under Laws of Contracting Parties and Other Instruments
Article 11: Protection in Respect of Registered Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications
Article 12: Protection Against Becoming Generic
Article 13: Safeguards in Respect of Other Rights
Article 14: Enforcement Procedures and Remedies
Chapter IV: Refusal and Other Actions in Respect of International Registration
Article 15: Refusal
Article 16: Withdrawal of Refusal
Article 17: Transitional Period
Article 18: Notification of Grant of Protection
Article 19: Invalidation
Article 20: Modifications and Other Entries in the International Register
Chapter V: Administrative Provisions
Article 21: Membership of the Lisbon Union
Article 22: Assembly of the Special Union
Article 23: International Bureau
Article 24: Finances
Article 25: Regulations
Chapter VI: Revision and Amendment
Article 26: Revision
Article 27: Amendment of Certain Articles by the Assembly
Chapter VII: Final Provisions
Article 28: Becoming Party to This Act
Article 29: Effective Date of Ratifications and Accessions
Article 30: Prohibition of Reservations24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/15Article 31: Application of the Lisbon Agreement and the 1967 Act
Article 32: Denunciation
Article 33: Languages of This Act; Signature
Article 34: Depositary page
CHAPTER I
Introductory and General Provisions
Article 1
Abbreviated Expressions
For the purposes of this Act, unless expressly stated otherwise:
(i.)‘Lisbon Agreement ’ means the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their Interna­
tional
 Registration of October 31,  1958 ;
(ii.) ‘1967 Act ’ means t he Lisbon Agreement as revised at Stockholm on July 14,  1967 , and amended on 
September 28,  1979 ;
(iii.) ‘this A ct’  means t he Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, as established 
by the present Act;
(iv.) ‘Regulations ’ means the Regulations as referred to in Article 25;
(v.) ‘Paris Convention ’ means t he Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of March 20,  1883, as 
r
evised and amended;
(vi.) ‘appellation of origin ’ means a denomination as referred to in Article 2(1)(i);
(vii.) ‘geographical indication ’ means an indication as referred to in Article 2(1)(ii);
(viii.) ‘International Register ’ means t he International Register maintained by the International Bureau in accordance 
with Article 4  as t he official collection of data concerning international registrations of appellations of origin 
and geographical indications, regardless of the medium in which such data are maintained;
(ix.) ‘international registration ’ means an international registration recorded in the International Register;
(x.) ‘application’  means an application for international registration;
(xi.) ‘registered ’ means entered in the International Register in accordance with this Act;
(xii.) ‘geographical area of origin ’ means a geographical area as referred to in Article 2(2);
(xiii.) ‘trans-border geographical area’  means a geographical area situated in, or covering, adjacent Contracting Parties;
(xiv.) ‘Contracting Party ’ means any State or intergovernmental organization party to this Act;
(xv.) ‘Contracting Party of Origin ’ means t he Contracting Party where the geographical area of origin is situated or 
the Contracting Parties where the trans-border geographical area of origin is situated;
(xvi.) ‘Competent Authority ’ means an entity designated in accordance with Article 3;
(xvii.) ‘beneficiaries ’ means t he natural persons or legal entities entitled under the law of the Contracting Party of Ori­
gin to use an appellation of origin or a geographical indication;
(xviii.) ‘intergovernmental organization ’ means an int ergovernmental organization eligible to become party to this Act 
in accordance with Article 28(1)(iii);
(xix.) ‘Organization ’ means the World Intellectual Property Organization;
(xx.) ‘Director General ’ means the Director General of the Organization;
(xxi.) ‘International Bureau’  means the International Bureau of the Organization.L 271/16 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Article 2
Subject-Matter
(1) [Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications]  This Act applies in respect of:
(i.)any denomination pr otected in the Contracting Party of Origin consisting of or containing the name of 
a geographical ar ea, or another denomination known as referring to such area, which serves to designate 
a good as or iginating in that geographical area, where the quality or characteristics of the good are due 
exclusively or essentially to the geographical environment, including natural and human factors, and which 
has given the good its reputation; as well as
(ii.) any indication pr otected in the Contracting Party of Origin consisting of or containing the name of 
a geographical area, or ano ther indication known as referring to such area, which identifies a good as or igi­
nating in that geographical area, where a given q uality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is 
essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
(2) [Possible Geog raphical Areas of Origin]  A geographical area of or igin as described in paragraph (1) may consis t of 
the entire territory of the Contracting Party of Origin or a region, locality or place in t he Contracting Party of 
Origin. This does not exclude the application of this Act in respect of a geographical area of or igin, as described 
in paragraph (1), consisting of a trans-b order geographical area, or a part thereof.
Article 3
Competent Authority
Each Contr acting Party shall designate an entity which shall be responsible for the administration of this Act in its 
territory and for communications with the International Bureau under this Act and the Regulations. The Contracting 
Party shall notify the name and contact details of such Competent Authority to the International Bureau, as specified in 
the Regulations.
Article 4
International Register
The International Bureau shall maintain an International Register recording international registrations effected under this 
A
ct, under the Lisbon Agreement and the 1967 Act, or under both, and data relating to such international registrations.
CHAPTER II
Application and International Registration
Article 5
Application
(1) [Place of Filing]  Applications shall be filed with the International Bureau.
(2) [Application Filed by Competent Authority]  Subject to paragraph (3), the application for the international registration 
of an appellation of origin or a geographical indication shall be filed by the Competent Authority in the name of:
(i.)the beneficiaries; or
(ii.) a natural per son or legal entity having legal standing under the law of the Contracting Party of Origin to 
assert the rights of the beneficiaries or other rights in the appellation of origin or geographical indication.
(3) [Application Filed Directly]
a)Without prejudice to paragraph (4), if the legislation of the Contracting Party of Origin so permits, the applica­
tion
 may be filed by the beneficiaries or by a natural person or legal entity referred to in paragraph (2)(ii).24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/17b)Subparagraph (a) applies subject t o a declaration fr om the Contracting Party that its legislation so permits. 
Such declaration may be made by the Contracting Party at the time of deposit of its instrument of ratification 
or accession or at any later time. Where the declaration is made at the time of the deposit of its instrument of 
ratification or accession, it shall take effect upon the entry into force of this Act with respect to that Contract­
ing Party. Where the declaration is made after the entry into force of this Act with respect to the Contracting 
Party, it shall take effect three months after the date on which the Director General has received the 
declaration.
(4) [Possible Joint Application in t he Case of a T rans-b order Geog raphical Area]  In case of a geographical ar ea of origin 
consisting of a tr ans-b order g eographical area, the adjacent Contracting Parties may, in accordance with their 
agreement, file an application jointly through a commonly designated Competent Authority.
(5) [Mandatory Contents]  The Regulations shall specify the mandatory particulars that must be included in the applica­
tion,
 in addition to those specified in Article 6(3).
(6) [Optional Contents]  The Regulations may specify the optional particulars that may be included in the application.
Article 6
International Registration
(1) [Formal Ex amination by the International Bureau]  U pon receipt of an application for the international registration of 
an appellation of origin or a geographical indication in due form, as specified in the Regulations, the International 
Bur
eau shall register the appellation of origin, or the geographical indication, in the International Register.
(2) [Date of Int ernational Registration]  Subject t o paragraph (3), the date of the international registration shall be the 
date on which the application was received by the International Bureau.
(3) [Date of International Registration Where Particulars Missing]  Where the application does not contain all the following 
particulars:
(i.)the identification of the Competent Authority or, in the case of Article 5(3),  the applicant or applicants;
(ii.) the details identifying the beneficiaries and, where applicable, the natural person or legal entity referred to in 
Article 5(2)(ii);
(iii.) the appellation of origin, or the geographical indication, for which international registration is sought;
(iv.) the good or goods to which the appellation of origin, or the geographical indication, applies;
the dat e of the international registration shall be the date on which the last of the missing particulars is received 
by the International Bureau.
(4) [Publication and Notification of International Registrations]  The International Bureau shall, without delay, publish each 
int
ernational registration and notify the Competent Authority of each Contracting Party of the international 
registration.
(5) [Date of Effect of International Registration]
a)Subject t o subparagraph (b), a registered appellation of or igin or geographical indication shall, in each Con­
tracting Party that has not refused protection in accordance with Article 15,  or t hat has sent to the Interna­
tional Bureau a notification of grant of protection in accordance with Article 18,  be protected from the date of 
t
he international registration.
b)A Contr acting  P arty may, in a declaration, no tify the Director General that, in accordance with its national or 
regional legislation, a registered appellation of origin or geographical indication is protected from a date that is 
mentioned in t
he declaration, which date shall however not be later than the date of expiry of the time limit 
for refusal specified in the Regulations in accordance with Article 15(1)(a).L 271/18 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Article 7
Fees
(1) [International Registration Fee]  International registration of each appellation of origin, and each geographical indica­
tion,
 shall be subject to payment of the fee specified in the Regulations.
(2) [Fees f or Other Entries in the International Register]  The R egulations shall specify the fees to be paid in respect of 
other entries in the International Register and for the supply of extracts, attestations, or other information con­
cerning the contents of the international registration.
(3) [Fee R eductions]  R educed fees shall be established by the Assembly in respect of certain international registrations 
of appellations of origin, and in respect of certain international registrations of geographical indications, in partic­
ular those in respect of which the Contracting Party of Origin is a developing country or a leas t-d eveloped 
country.
(4) [Individual Fee]
a)Any Contr acting Party may, in a declaration, no tify the Director General that the protection resulting from 
international registration shall extend to it only if a fee is paid t o cover its cost of substantive examination of 
the international registration. The amount of such individual fee shall be indicated in the declaration and can 
be changed in further declarations. The said amount may not be higher than the equivalent of the amount 
required under the national or regional legislation of the Contracting Party diminished by the savings resulting 
from the international procedure. Additionally, the Contracting Party may, in a declaration, notify the Director 
General that it requires an administrative fee relating to the use by the beneficiaries of the appellation of origin 
or the geographical indication in that Contracting Party.
b)Non-payment of an individual f ee shall, in accordance with the Regulations, have the effect that protection is 
renounced in respect of the Contracting Party requiring the fee.
Article 8
Period of Validity of International Registrations
(1) [Dependency]  Int ernational registrations shall be valid indefinitely, on the understanding that the protection of 
a registered appellation of or igin or geographical indication shall no longer be required if the denomination con­
stituting the appellation of origin, or the indication constituting the geographical indication, is no longer protected 
in the Contracting  Party of Origin.
(2) [Cancellation]
a)The Competent Authority of the Contracting Party of Origin, or, in the case of Article 5(3),  the beneficiaries or 
t
he natural person or legal entity referred to in Article 5(2)(ii)  or t he Competent Authority of the Contracting 
Party of Origin, may at any time request the International Bureau to cancel the international registration 
concerned.
b)In case t he denomination constituting a registered appellation of or igin, or the indication constituting a regis­
t
ered geographical indication, is no longer protected in the Contracting Party of Origin, the Competent Author­
ity of the Contracting Party of Origin shall request cancellation of the international registration.
CHAPTER III
Protection
Article 9
Commitment to Protect
Each Contracting Party shall protect registered appellations of origin and geographical indications on its territory, within 
its o
wn legal system and practice but in accordance with the terms of this Act, subject to any refusal, renunciation, 
invalidation or cancellation that may become effective with respect to its territory, and on the understanding that Con­
tracting Parties that do not distinguish in their national or regional legislation as between appellations of origin and 
geographical indications shall not be required to introduce such a distinction into their national or regional legislation.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/19Article 10
Protection Under Laws of Contracting Parties or Other Instruments
(1) [Form of Leg al  Protection]  Each Contracting Party shall be free to choose the type of legislation under which it 
es
tablishes the protection stipulated in this Act, provided that such legislation meets the substantive requirements 
of this Act.
(2) [Protection U nder Other Instruments]  The provisions of this Act shall not in any way affect any other protection 
a
 Contracting  Party may accord in respect of registered appellations of origin or registered geographical indica­
tions
 under its national or regional legislation, or under other international instruments.
(3) [Relation to Other Instruments]  Nothing in this Act shall derogate from any obligations that Contracting Parties have 
to
 each other under any other international instruments, nor shall it prejudice any rights that a Contracting  Party 
has
 under any other international instruments.
Article 11
Protection in Respect of Registered Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications
(1) [Content of Pr o tection]  Subject to the provisions of this Act, in respect of a  registered appellation of origin  or 
a registered geographical indication, each Contracting Party shall provide the legal means to pr event:
a)use of the appellation of origin or the geographical indication
(i.)in respect of goods of t he  same kind as those to which the appellation of origin or the geographical 
indication applies, not originating in the geographical area of origin or not complying with any other 
applicable requirements for using the appellation of origin or the geographical indication;
(ii.) in respect of goods that are not of the same kind as those to which the appellation of origin or geograph­
ical 
indication applies or services, if such use would indicate or suggest a connection between those goods 
or 
services and the beneficiaries of the appellation of origin or the geographical indication, and would be 
likely to damage their interests, or, where applicable, because of the reputation of the appellation of origin 
or geographical indication in the Contracting Party concerned, such use would be likely to impair or 
dilute in an unfair manner, or take unfair advantage of, that reputation;
b)any other practice liable to mislead consumers as to the true origin, provenance or nature of the goods.
(2) [Content of Pr o tection in Respect of Certain Uses]  Paragraph (1)(a)  shall also apply  to use of the appellation of origin 
or geographical indication amounting to its imitation, even if the true origin of the goods is indicated, or if the 
appellation of origin or the geographical indication is used in translated form or is accompanied by terms such as 
‘style ’, ‘kind ’ , ‘type’, ‘make ’, ‘imitation ’, ‘method’, ‘as produced in ’ , ‘like ’, ‘similar ’ or the like (1).
(3) [Use in a Trademark]  Without prejudice to Ar ticle 13(1),  a Contracting  Party shall, e x officio  if its legislation so 
permits
 or at the request of an interested party, refuse or invalidate the registration of a later trademark if use of 
t
he trademark would result in one of the situations covered by paragraph (1).
Article 12
Protection Against Becoming Generic
Subject t o the provisions of this Act, registered appellations of origin and registered geographical indications cannot be 
considered
 to have become generic  (2) in a Contracting  Party.
(1)Agreed Statement concerning Article 11(2):  For the purposes of this Act, it is understood that where certain elements of the denomi­
nation  
or indication constituting the appellation of origin or geographical indication have a generic character in the Contracting Party 
of 
Origin, their protection under this paragraph shall not be required in the other Contracting Parties. For greater certainty, a refusal 
or 
invalidation of a trademark, or a finding of infringement, in the Contracting Parties under the terms of Article 11  cannot be based 
on 
the component that has a generic character.
(2)A
greed Statement concerning Article 12:  For the purposes of this Act, it is understood that Article 12  is without prejudice to the 
application 
of the provisions of this Act concerning prior use, as, prior to international registration, the denomination or indication 
constituting the appellation of origin or geographical indication may already, in whole or in part, be generic in a Contracting  Party 
ot
her than the Contracting Party of Origin, for example, because the denomination or indication, or part of it, is identical with a term 
cust
omary in common language as the common name of a good or service in such Contracting Party, or is identical with the custom­
ary
 name of a grape variety in such Contracting Party.L 271/20 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Article 13
Safeguards in Respect of Other Rights
(1) [Prior Trademark Rights]  The provisions of this Act shall not prejudice a prior trademark applied for or registered in 
good f
aith, or acquired through use in good faith, in a Contr acting  P arty. Where the law of a Contr acting  P arty 
provides a limited e xception to the rights conferred by a trademark t o the effect that such a prior tr ademark in 
certain circumstances may not entitle its owner to prevent a registered appellation of or igin or geographical indi­
cation from being granted protection or used in that Contracting Party, protection of the registered appellation of 
origin or geographical indication shall not limit the rights conferred by that trademark in any other way.
(2) [Personal N ame Used in Business]  The pr ovisions of this Act shall not prejudice the right of any person to use, in 
the course of trade, that person’s name or the name of that person’s predecessor in business, except where such 
name is used in such a m anner as to mislead the public.
(3) [Rights Based on a Plant  V ariety or Animal Breed Denomination]  The pr ovisions of this Act shall not prejudice the 
right of any person to use a plant variety or animal breed denomination in the course of trade, except where such 
plant
 variety or animal breed denomination is used in such a manner as to mislead the public.
(4) [Safeguards in the Case of Notification of Withdrawal of Refusal or a Grant  of Protection]  Where a Contracting  Party that 
has r
efused the effects of an international registration under Article 15  on t he ground of use under a prior tr ade­
mark or other right, as referred to in this Article, notifies the withdrawal of that refusal under Article 16  or 
a grant of protection under Article 18,  the resulting protection of the appellation of origin or geographical indica­
tion shall no
t prejudice that right or its use, unless the protection was granted following the cancellation, non-
renewal, revocation or invalidation of the right.
Article 14
Enforcement Procedures and Remedies
Each Contracting Party shall make available effective legal remedies for the protection of registered appellations of origin 
and
 registered geographical indications and provide that legal proceedings for ensuring their protection may be brought 
by a public aut hority or by any interested party, whether a natural per son or a legal entity and whe ther public or pri­
vate, depending on its legal system and practice.
CHAPTER IV
Refusal and Other Actions in Respect of International Registrations
Article 15
Refusal
(1) [Refusal of Effects of International Registration]
a)Within the time limit specified in the Regulations, the Competent Authority of a Contracting  Party may notify 
t
he International Bureau of the refusal of the effects of an international registration in its territory. The notifi­
cation of refusal may be made by the Competent Authority ex of ficio , if its legislation so per mits, or at the 
request of an interested party.
b)The notification of refusal shall set out the grounds on which the refusal is based.
(2) [Protection U nder Other Instruments]  The no tification of a refusal shall no t be detrimental to any other protection 
that may be available, in accordance with Article 10(2),  to the denomination or indication concerned in the Con­
tr
acting Party to which the refusal relates.
(3) [Obligation t o Provide Opportunity for Interested Parties]  Eac h Contracting Party shall provide a reasonable oppor tu­
nity, for anyone whose interests would be affected by an international registration, to request the Competent 
Authority to notify a refusal in respect of the international registration.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/21(4) [Registration, Publication and Communication of R efusals]  The Int ernational Bureau shall record the refusal and the 
grounds for the refusal in the International Register. It shall publish the refusal and the grounds for the refusal and 
shall communicate the notification of refusal to the Competent Authority of the Contracting Party of Origin or, 
where the application has been filed directly in accordance with Article 5(3),  t he beneficiaries or the natural per­
son or legal entity referred to in Article 5(2)(ii)  as w ell as the Competent Authority of the Contracting Party of 
Origin.
(5) [National Treatment]  Each Contracting Party shall make available to interested parties affected by a refusal the same 
judicial and administr
ative remedies that are available to its own nationals in respect of the refusal of protection 
for an appellation of origin or a geographical indication.
Article 16
Withdrawal of Refusal
A refusal may be withdrawn in accordance with the procedures specified in the Regulations. A w ithdrawal shall be 
r
ecorded in the International Register.
Article 17
Transitional Period
(1) [Option to Grant Transitional Period]  Without prejudice to Article 13,  where a Contracting  Party has not refused the 
ef
fects of an international registration on the ground of prior use by a third par ty or has withdrawn such refusal 
or has notified a grant of protection, it may, if its legislation so permits, grant a defined period as specified in the 
R
egulations, for terminating such use.
(2) [Notification of a T ransitional  P eriod] The Contracting Party shall notify the International Bureau of any such 
period, in accordance with the procedures specified in the Regulations.
Article 18
Notification of Grant of Protection
The Com petent Authority of a Contr acting  P arty may notify the International Bureau of the grant of protection to 
a registered appellation of origin or geographical indication. The International Bureau shall record any such notification 
in
 the International Register and publish it.
Article 19
Invalidation
(1) [Opportunity to Defend Rights]  Invalidation of the effects, in part or in whole, of an international registration in the 
t
erritory of a Contr acting  P arty may be pronounced only after having given the beneficiaries an opportunity to 
defend their rights. Such opportunity shall also be given to the natural person or legal entity referred to in 
Article 5(2)(ii).
(2) [Notification, R ecordal and Publication]  The Contr acting Party shall notify the invalidation of the effects of an inter­
national registration to the International Bureau, which shall record the invalidation in the International Register 
and publish it.
(3) [Protection Under Other Instruments]  Invalidation shall not be detrimental to any other protection that may be avail­
able,
 in accordance with Article 10(2),  to the denomination or indication concerned in the Contracting Party that 
in
validated the effects of the international registration.
Article 20
Modifications and Other Entries in the International Register
Procedures f or the modification of international registrations and other entries in the International Register shall be 
specified in the Regulations.L 271/22 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019CHAPTER V
Administrative Provisions
Article 21
Membership of the Lisbon Union
The Contracting Parties shall be members of the same Special Union as the States party to the Lisbon Agreement or the 
1967
 Act, whether or not they are party to the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act.
Article 22
Assembly of the Special Union
(1) [Composition]
a)The Contracting Parties shall be members of the same Assembly as the States party to the 1967 Act.
b)Each Contr acting Party shall be represented by one delegate, who may be assisted by alternate delegates, advi­
sors and experts.
c)Each delegation shall bear its own expenses.
(2) [Tasks]
a)The Assembly shall:
(i.)deal wit h all matters concerning the maintenance and development of the Special Union and the imple­
mentation of this Act;
(ii.) give dir ections to the Director General concerning the preparation of revision conferences referred to in 
Article 26(1),  due account being t aken of any comments made by those members of the Special Union 
which have not ratified or acceded to this Act;
(iii.) amend the Regulations;
(iv.) review and approve the reports and activities of the Director General concerning the Special Union, and 
giv
e him or her all necessary instructions concerning matters within the competence of the Special 
Union;
(v.) determine t he program and adopt the biennial budget of the Special Union, and approve its final 
accounts;
(vi.) adopt the financial Regulations of the Special Union;
(vii.) establish suc h committees and working groups as it deems appropriate to achieve the objectives of the 
Special Union;
(viii.) determine whic h States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations shall be admitted to its 
meetings as observers;
(ix.) adopt amendments to Articles 22  to 24 and 27;
(x.) take an y other appropriate action to further the objectives of the Special Union and perform any other 
functions as are appropriate under this Act.
b)With respect t o matters which are of interest also to other Unions administered by the Organization, the 
Assembly shall make its decisions after having heard the advice of the Coordination Committee of the 
Organization.
(3) [Quorum]
a)One-half of t he members of the Assembly which have the right to vote on a given matt er shall constitute 
a quorum for the purposes of the vote on that matter.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/23b)Notwithstanding t he provisions of subparagraph (a), if, in any session, the number of the members of the 
Assembly which are States, have the right to vote on a given matt er and are represented is less than one-half 
but equal to or more than one-third of the members of the Assembly which are States and have the right to 
vote on that matter, the Assembly may make decisions but, with the exception of decisions concerning its own 
procedure, all such decisions shall take effect only if the conditions set forth hereinafter are fulfilled. The Inter­
national Bureau shall communicate the said decisions to the members of the Assembly which are States, have 
the right to vote on the said matter and were not represented and shall invite them to express in writing their 
vote or abstention within a period of t hree months from the date of the communication. If, at the expiration 
of this period, the number of such members having thus expressed their vote or abstention attains the number 
of the members which was lacking for attaining the quorum in the session itself, such decisions shall take 
effect provided that at the same time the required majority still obtains.
(4) [Taking Decisions in the Assembly]
a)The Assembly shall endeavor to take its decisions by consensus.
b)Where a decision canno t be arrived at by consensus, the matter at issue shall be decided by voting. In such 
a case,
(i.)each Contracting Party that is a State  shall have one vote and shall vote only in its own name; and
(ii.) any Contr acting Party that is an intergovernmental organization may vote, in place of its member States, 
with a number of v otes equal to the number of its member States which are party to this Act. No such 
intergovernmental organization shall participate in the vote if any one of its member States exercises its 
right to vote, and vice versa .
c)On matters concerning only States that are bound by the 1967 Act, Contracting Parties that are not bound by 
t
he 1967 Act shall not have the right to vote, whereas, on matters concerning only Contracting Parties, only 
the latter shall have the right to vote.
(5) [Majorities]
a)Subject to Articles 25(2)  and 27(2), the decisions of the Assembly shall require two-thirds of the votes cast.
b)Abstentions shall not be considered as votes.
(6) [Sessions]
a)The Assembly shall meet upon convocation by the Director General and, in the absence of exceptional circum­
st
ances, during the same period and at the same place as the General Assembly of the Organization.
b)The Assembl y shall meet in extraordinary session upon convocation by the Director General, either at the 
request of one-fourth of the members of the Assembly or on the Director General’s own initiative.
c)The agenda of each session shall be prepared by the Director General.
(7) [Rules of Procedure]  The Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure.
Article 23
International Bureau
(1) [Administrative Tasks]
a)International r egistration and related duties, as well as all other administrative tasks concerning the Special 
Union, shall be performed by the International Bureau.
b)In par ticular, the International Bureau shall prepare the meetings and provide the Secretariat of the Assembly 
and of such committees and working groups as may have been established by the Assembly.L 271/24 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019c)The Director General shall be the Chief Executive of the Special Union and shall represent the Special Union.
(2) [Role of t he International Bureau in the Assembly and Other Meetings]  The Dir ector General and any staff member 
designated by him shall participate, without the right to vote, in all meetings of the Assembly, the committees and 
working groups established by the Assembly. The Director General, or a staff member designated by him, shall be 
ex officio  Secretary of such a body.
(3) [Conferences]
a)The Int ernational Bureau shall, in accordance with the directions of the Assembly, make the preparations for 
any revision conferences.
b)The Int ernational Bureau may consult with intergovernmental and international and national non-governmen­
tal organizations concerning the said preparations.
c)The Dir ector General and persons designated by him shall take part, without the right to vote, in the discus­
sions at revision conferences.
(4) [Other Tasks]  The International Bureau shall carry out any other tasks assigned to it in relation to this Act.
Article 24
Finances
(1) [Budget]  The income and e xpenses of the Special Union shall be reflected in the budget of the Organization in 
a fair and transparent manner.
(2) [Sources of Financing of the Budget]  The income of the Special Union shall be derived from the following sources:
(i.)fees collected under Article 7(1)  and (2);
(ii.) proceeds from the sale of, or royalties on, the publications of the International Bureau;
(iii.) gifts, bequests, and subventions;
(iv.) rent, investment revenue, and other, including miscellaneous, income;
(v.) special contributions of the Contracting Parties or any alternative source derived from the Contracting Parties 
or benef
iciaries, or both, if and to the extent to which receipts from the sources indicated in items (i) to 
(iv) do not suffice to cover the expenses, as decided by the Assembly.
(3) [Fixing of Fees; Level of the Budget]
a)The amounts of t he fees referred to in paragraph (2) s hall be f ixed by the Assembly on the proposal of the 
Director General and shall be so fixed that, together with the income derived from other sources under para­
graph (2), the revenue of the Special Union should, under normal circumstances, be sufficient to cover the 
expenses of the International Bureau for maintaining the international registration service.
b)If t he Program and Budget of the Organization is not adopted before the beginning of a new f inancial period, 
the authorization to the Director General to incur obligations and make payments shall be at the same level as 
it was in the previous financial period.
(4) [Establishing the Special Contributions Referred to in Paragraph (2)(v)]  For the purpose of establishing its contribution, 
eac
h Contracting Party shall belong to the same class as it belongs to in the context of the Paris Convention or, if 
it is not a Contr acting  P arty of the Paris Convention, as it would belong to if it were a Contr acting  P arty of the 
Paris Convention. Intergovernmental organizations shall be considered to belong to contribution class I (one), 
unless otherwise unanimously decided by the Assembly. The contribution shall be partially weighted according to 
the number of registrations originating in the Contracting Party, as decided by the Assembly.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/25(5) [Working Capit al Fund]  The Special U nion shall have a working capit al fund, which shall be constituted by pay­
ments made by way of advance by each member of the Special Union when the Special Union so decides. If the 
fund becomes insufficient, the Assembly may decide to increase it. The proportion and the terms of payment shall 
be fixed by the Assembly on the proposal of the Director General. Should the Special Union record a surplus of 
income over expenditure in any financial period, the Working Capital Fund advances may be repaid to each mem­
ber proportionate to their initial payments upon proposal by the Director General and decision by the Assembly.
(6) [Advances by Host State]
a)In t he headquarters agreement concluded with the State on the territory of which the Organization has its 
headquarters, it shall be provided that, whenever the working capital fund is insufficient, such State shall grant 
advances. The amount of those advances and the conditions on which they are granted shall be the subject of 
separate agreements, in each case, between such State and the Organization.
b)The S tate referred to in subparagraph (a) a nd t he Organization shall each have the right to denounce the obli­
gation to grant advances, by written notification. Denunciation shall take effect three years after the end of the 
year in which it has been notified.
(7) [Auditing of Accounts]  The auditing of the accounts shall be effected by one or more of the States members of the 
Special U
nion or by external auditors, as provided in the Financial Regulations of the Organization. They shall be 
designated, with their agreement, by the Assembly.
Article 25
Regulations
(1) [Subject-Matter]  The details for carrying out this Act shall be established in the Regulations.
(2) [Amendment of Certain Provisions of the Regulations]
a)The Assembl y may decide that certain provisions of the Regulations may be amended only by unanimity or 
only by a three-f ourths majority.
b)In or der for the requirement of unanimity or a t hree-f ourths ma jority no longer to apply in the future to the 
amendment of a provision of the Regulations, unanimity shall be required.
c)In order for the requirement of unanimity or a three-f ourths majority to apply in the future to the amendment 
of
 a provision of the Regulations, a three-f ourths majority shall be required.
(3) [Conflict Be tween This Act and the Regulations]  In t he case of conflict between the provisions of this Act and those 
of the Regulations, the former shall prevail.
CHAPTER VI
Revision and Amendment
Article 26
Revision
(1) [Revision Conferences]  This Act may be revised by Diplomatic Conferences of the Contracting Parties. The convoca­
tion
 of any Diplomatic Conference shall be decided by the Assembly.
(2) [Revision or Amendment of Cer tain Articles]  Articles 22  t o 24 and 27 may be amended either by a revision conf er­
ence or by the Assembly according to the provisions of Article 27.
Article 27
Amendment of Certain Articles by the Assembly
(1) [Proposals for Amendment]
a)Proposals for the amendment of Articles 22  to 24, and the present Article, may be initiated by any Contracting 
P
arty or by the Director General.
b)Such pr oposals shall be communicated by the Director General to the Contracting Parties at least six months 
in advance of their consideration by the Assembly.
(2) [Majorities]  A doption of any amendment to the Articles referred to in paragraph (1) s hall r equire a t hree-f ourths 
ma
jority, except that adoption of any amendment to Article 22,  and t o the present paragraph, shall require 
a four-f ifths majority.L 271/26 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019(3) [Entry into Force]
a)Except wher e subparagraph (b) applies, an y amendment to the Articles referred to in paragraph (1) s hall ent er 
into force one month after written notifications of acceptance, effected in accordance with their respective 
constitutional processes, have been received by the Director General from three-fourths of those Contracting 
Parties which, at the time the amendment was adopted, were members of the Assembly and had the right to 
vote on that amendment.
b)Any amendment to Article 22(3)  or (4) o r to this subparagraph shall not enter into force if, within six months 
of its adoption by the Assembly, any Contracting Party notifies the Director General that it does not accept 
such amendment.
c)Any amendment which enters into force in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph shall bind all the 
S
tates and intergovernmental organizations which are Contracting Parties at the time the amendment enters 
into force, or which become Contracting Parties at a subsequent date.
CHAPTER VII
Final Provisions
Article 28
Becoming Party to This Act
(1) [Eligibility]  Subject to Article 29  and paragraphs (2) a nd (3) of the present Article,
(i.)any State which is party to the Paris Convention may sign and become party to this Act;
(ii.) any o ther State member of the Organization may sign and become party to this Act if it declares that its 
legislation complies with the provisions of the Paris Convention concerning appellations of origin, geograph­
ical indications and trademarks;
(iii.) any intergovernmental organization may sign and become party to this Act, provided that at least one mem­
ber
 State of that intergovernmental organization is party to the Paris Convention and provided that the inter­
governmental organization declares that it has been duly authorized, in accordance with its internal proce­
dures, to become party to this Act and that, under the constituting treaty of the intergovernmental organiza­
tion, legislation applies under which regional titles of protection can be obtained in respect of geographical 
indications.
(2) [Ratification or Accession]  Any State or intergovernmental organization referred to in paragraph (1) m ay deposit
(i.)an instrument of ratification, if it has signed this Act; or
(ii.) an instrument of accession, if it has not signed this Act.
(3) [Effective Date of Deposit]
a)Subject to subparagraph (b), the effective date of the deposit of an instrument of ratification or accession shall 
be
 the date on which that instrument is deposited.
b)The ef fective date of the deposit of the instrument of ratification or accession of any State that is a member 
S
tate of an intergovernmental organization and in respect of which the protection of appellations of origin or 
geographical indications can only be obtained on the basis of legislation applying between the member States 
of the intergovernmental organization shall be the date on which the instrument of ratification or accession of 
that intergovernmental organization is deposited, if that date is later than the date on which the instrument of 
the said State has been deposited. However, this subparagraph does not apply with regard to States that are 
party to the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act and shall be without prejudice to the application of Article 31 
with regard to such States.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/27Article 29
Effective Date of Ratifications and Accessions
(1) [Instruments t o Be Taken into Consideration]  F or the purposes of this Article, only instruments of ratification or 
accession that are deposited by States or intergovernmental organizations referred to in Article 28(1)  and t hat 
have an effective date according to Article 28(3)  shall be taken into consideration.
(2) [Entry int o Force of This Act]  This A ct shall enter into force three months after five eligible parties referred to in 
Article 28  have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession.
(3) [Entry into Force of Ratifications and Accessions]
a)Any State or intergovernmental organization that has deposited its instrument of ratification or accession three 
mont
hs or more before the date of entry into force of this Act shall become bound by this Act on the date of 
the entry into force of this Act.
b)Any other State or intergovernmental organization shall become bound by this Act three months after the date 
on whic
h it has deposited its instrument of ratification or accession or at any later date indicated in that 
instrument.
(4) [International R egistrations Effected Prior to Accession]  In t he territory of the acceding State and, where the Contract­
ing Party is an intergovernmental organization, the territory in which the constituting treaty of that intergovern­
mental organization applies, the provisions of this Act shall apply in respect of appellations of origin and geo­
graphical indications already registered under this Act at the time the accession becomes effective, subject to 
Article 7(4)  as w ell as the provisions of Chapter IV ,  whic h shall apply mutatis mut andis. The acceding S tate or 
intergovernmental organization may also specify, in a declaration att ached to its instrument of ratification or 
accession, an extension of the time limit referred to in Article 15(1),  and t he periods referred to in Article 17,  in 
accor
dance with the procedures specified in the Regulations in that respect.
Article 30
Prohibition of Reservations
No reservations to this Act are permitted.
Article 31
Application of the Lisbon Agreement and the 1967 Act
(1) [Relations Be tween States Party to Both This Act and the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act]  This A ct alone shall be 
applicable as regards the mutual relations of States party to both this Act and the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 
Act. However, with regard to international registrations of appellations of origin effective under the Lisbon Agree­
ment or the 1967 Act, the States shall accord no lower protection than is required by the Lisbon Agreement or 
the 1967 Act.
(2) [Relations Between States Party to Both This Act and the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act and States Party to the Lisbon 
Agreement or the 1967 Act Without Being Party to This Act]  Any State party to both this Act and the Lisbon Agree­
ment or t
he 1967 Act shall continue to apply the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act, as the case may be, in its 
relations with States party to the Lisbon Agreement or the 1967 Act that are not party to this Act.
Article 32
Denunciation
(1) [Notification]  Any Contracting Party may denounce this Act by notification addressed to the Director General.
(2) [Effective Dat e]  Denunciation shall t ake effect one year after the date on which the Director General has received 
the notification or at any later date indicated in the notification. It shall not affect the application of this Act to 
any application pending and any international registration in force in respect of the denouncing Contracting Party 
at the time of the coming into effect of the denunciation.L 271/28 EN Official Journal of the European Union 24.10.2019Article 33
Languages of this Act; Signature
(1) [Original Texts; Official Texts]
a)This A ct shall be signed in a single or iginal in the English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish lan­
guages, all texts being equally authentic.
b)Official t exts shall be established by the Director General, after consultation with the interested Governments, 
in such other languages as the Assembly may designate.
(2) [Time Limit for Signature]  This Act shall remain open for signature at the headquarters of the Organization for one 
y
ear after its adoption.
Article 34
Depositary
The Director General shall be the depositary of this Act.24.10.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 271/29ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)
ISSN 1725-2555 (paper edition)
EN