INFORMATION NOTICE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Geographical indications from Japan

(2021/C 305/11)

Provided to Article 14.30 of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the Japanese authorities have presented a list of additional geographical indications to be protected under the Agreement. The European Commission is currently considering whether these geographical indications shall be protected under the Agreement.

The Commission invites any Member State or third country or any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest, resident or established in a Member State or in a third country, to submit oppositions to such protection by lodging a duly substantiated statement.

Statements of opposition must reach the Commission within two months of the date of this publication. Statements of opposition should be sent to the following e-mail address: AGRI-A4@ec.europa.eu

Statements of opposition shall be examined only if they are received within the time limit set out above and if they show that:

(a) the protection of the name proposed would conflict with the name of a plant variety or an animal breed and as a result is likely to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product;

(b) the name proposed would be wholly or partially homonymous with that of a name already protected in the Union a. under Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), b. under Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (2), or c. under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling of spirit drinks, the use of names of spirit drinks in the presentation and labelling of other foodstuffs, the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and the use of ethyl alcohol distillates of agricultural origin in alcoholic beverages, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 (3), or with one of the geographical indications from non-EU countries protected in the EU under bilateral agreements available at the following address: https://www.tmdn.org/giview/

(c) in the light of a trade mark’s reputation and renown and the length of time it has been used, the protection of the name proposed would be liable to mislead the consumer as to the true identity of the product;

(d) the protection of the name proposed would jeopardise a. the existence of an entirely or partly identical name, b. the existence of a trade mark c. or the existence of products which have been legally on the market for at least five years preceding the date of the publication of this notice;

(e) or if they can give details from which it can be concluded that the name for which protection is considered is generic.

The criteria referred to above shall be evaluated in relation to the territory of the Union, which in the case of intellectual property rights refers only to the territory or territories where the said rights are protected. The possible protection of these names in the European Union is subject to the successful conclusion of the discussions led under Article 14.30 of the Agreement and subsequent legal act.

List of Geographical Indications (4)

No Protected name in Japan Transcription into Latin alphabet (for information purposes) Category of products and short description [in square brackets, for information purposes] 1 江戸崎かぼちゃ / 江戸崎カボチャ / 江戸崎南瓜 Edosaki Kabocha Agricultural product [squash] 2 吉川ナス Yoshikawa Nasu Agricultural product [eggplant] 3 新里ねぎ / NISSATO GREEN ONION Nissato Negi Agricultural product [green onion] 4 ひばり野オクラ Hibarino Okra Agricultural product [Okra] 5 今金男しゃく / Imakane Danshaku Imakane Danshaku Agricultural product [potato] 6 田浦銀太刀 / Tanoura Gindachi Tanoura Gindachi Marine product [cutlass fish] 7 大野あさり / Ono Asari Ono Asari Marine product [clam] 8 大鰐温泉もやし / Owanionsen Moyashi Owanionsen Moyashi Agricultural product [bean sprouts] 9 檜山海参 / Hiyama Haishen Hiyama Haishen Processed Marine product [dried sea cucumber] 10 大竹いちじく / Otake Ichijiku Otake Ichijiku Agricultural product [fig] 11 八代特産晩白柚 / Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu Yatsushiro Tokusan Banpeiyu Agricultural product [pomelo] 12 八代生姜 / Yatsushiro Shoga / Yatsushiro Ginger Yatsushiro Shoga Agricultural product [ginger] 13 物部ゆず / Monobe Yuzu Monobe Yuzu Agricultural product [Yuzu (citrus)] 14 福山のくわい / Fukuyama no Kuwai Fukuyama no Kuwai Agricultural product [arrowhead] 15 富山干柿 / Toyama Hoshigaki Toyama Hoshigaki Processed agricultural product [dried Japanese persimmon] 16 山形ラ・フランス / Yamagata La France Yamagata La France Agricultural product [pear] 17 徳地やまのいも / Tokuji Yamanoimo Tokuji Yamanoimo Agricultural product [Japanese yam] 18 網走湖産しじみ貝 / Abashirikosan Shijimigai Abashirikosan Shijimigai Marine product [freshwater clam] 19 えらぶゆり / ERABU LILY / Erabu Yuri Erabu Yuri Plants for Ornamental Purposes [lily] 20 西浦みかん寿太郎 / Nishiura Mikan Jutaro Nishiura Mikan Jutaro Agricultural product [mandarin (citrus)] 21 河北せり / Kahoku Dropwort / Kahoku Seri Kahoku Seri Agricultural product [water dropwort] 22 清水森ナンバ / Shimizumori Red Pepper / Shimizumori Green Pepper / Shimizumori Namba Shimizumori Namba Agricultural product [pepper] Seasonings [pepper] 23 甲子柿 / KASSHI GAKI/ KASSHI KAKI/ KASSHI PERSIMMON Kasshi Gaki / Kasshi Kaki Agricultural product [Japanese persimmon] 24 三重 Mie Seishu (Sake) 25 和歌山梅酒 Wakayama Umeshu Liqueur 26 利根沼田 Tone Numata Seishu (Sake) 27 萩 Hagi Seishu (Sake) 28 山梨 Yamanashi Seishu (Sake)

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

(3) OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 1.

(4) List of GIs registered in Japan provided by the Japanese authorities in the framework of the on-going discussions according to Article 14.30 of the Agreement.