COMMISSION DECISION

of 20 January 2022

approving, on behalf of the European Union, the amendments to Annex 14-B of the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership

(2022/C 35/01)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Decision (EU) 2018/1907 of 20 December 2018 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership (1), and in particular Article 4 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Agreement between the European Union and Japan for an Economic Partnership (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’) entered into force on 1 February 2019.

(2) Within the framework of the Committee on Intellectual Property, the European Union and Japan (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Parties’) confirmed that every year, starting from 2020 and until 2022, the Joint Committee will consider up to 28 names from the European Union and from Japan respectively to be protected as geographical indications (hereinafter referred to as ‘GIs’) and added in Annex 14-B of the Agreement, provided that those names are protected as GIs domestically. As from 2023, the Parties will work to continuously add to Annex 14-B additional GIs in view of each side’s interests under close coordination between the Parties. On 1 February 2021, in accordance with Article 14.30 of the Agreement, 28 GIs of the Union and 28 GIs of Japan have been added in Annex 14-B of the Agreement (2).

(3) Article 14.30 of the Agreement provides for the possibility to add new geographical indications to Annex 14-B to the Agreement to be adopted after the completion of the opposition procedure and after having examined the geographical indications as set out in paragraph 4 of Article 14.25 thereof to the satisfaction of the both Parties.

(4) The Union has completed the opposition procedure and the examination of 28 additional geographical indications of Japan and Japan has completed the opposition procedure and the examination of 28 additional geographical indications of the Union. These geographical indications should be added under the corresponding list of geographical indications of the respective Member State of the Union and to the list of geographical indications of Japan.

(5) Article 14.53(3) of the Agreement provides that the Committee on Intellectual Property, established pursuant to Article 22.3 of the Agreement, should make recommendations to the Joint Committee established pursuant to Article 22.1 of the Agreement on amendments to Annex 14-B on request of a Party.

(6) Pursuant to paragraph 5 of Article 22.1 of the Agreement, the Joint Committee may adopt decisions to amend the Agreement in specific instances, including the amendment of Annex 14-B, in accordance with the respective domestic legal procedures of the Parties.

(7) On 13 December 2021, the Committee on Intellectual Property recommended to the Joint Committee to amend Annex 14-B to the Agreement accordingly.

(8) Annex 14-B to the Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly and the amendments should be approved on behalf of the Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1 The amendments to Annex 14-B to the Agreement set out in the draft Decision of the Joint Committee, are hereby approved on behalf of the European Union. The text of the amending Agreement, in the form of a draft Decision of the Joint Committee, is attached to this Decision.

Article 2 The representative of the European Union in the Joint Committee is authorised to approve the adoption of the Decision of the Joint Committee on behalf of the European Union.

Article 3 This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The amending Agreement in the Annex, in the form of the Decision of the Joint Committee, shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union after its adoption by the Joint Committee.

Done at Brussels, 20 January 2022. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 330, 27.12.2018, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 35, 1.2.2021, p. 31.