Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 10 September 2025 –
Comptoir Sel Solaire v Commission
(Case T‑190/24)
( Agriculture – Protected geographical indications – Opposition proceedings – Registration of the name ‘Sel de Camargue/Fleur de sel de Camargue’ – Article 52(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 – Principle of sound administration )
1.      Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Direct concern – Criteria – Regulation on the entry of a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications – Protection of the geographical indication Sel de Camargue/Fleur de sel de Camargue – Action brought by a group of salt producers – Participation of the group in the opposition procedure before the Commission with regard to the registration of the name – Admissibility
(Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU; Commission Regulation 2024/423)
(see paragraphs 26-37)
2.      Agriculture – Uniform legislation – Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs – Regulation No 1151/2012 – Registration procedure – Registration of a name as a protected geographical indication – Conditions – Compliance of the method of obtaining the product with a prior national production standard – Not included – Compliance of the method of obtaining the product with the methods of obtaining described in the product specification of the protected designations of origin and of the protected geographical indications relating to that product – Not included
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1151/2012, Arts 5(2), 7(1)(a) and 50(1))
(see paragraphs 45-55)
3.      Agriculture – Uniform legislation – Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs – Regulation No 1151/2012 – Registration procedure – Registration of a name as a protected geographical indication – Name which associates the product fleur de sel with a specific geographical area – Possibility of differentiating from other names containing those terms on the basis of their geographical origin – Name which does not mislead the consumer as to the properties or methods of production of the product – Name which does not create a situation of unfair competition
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1151/2012, Arts 1(1)(a) and (b), 4(c) and 5(2); Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Art. 22)
(see paragraphs 61-74, 78, 83-86)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Comptoir Sel Solaire to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;
3.
Orders the French Republic to bear its own costs.