INFORMATION NOTICE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Geographical indications from Georgia

(2022/C 307/09)

In the context of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, and Georgia (1), the protection in the European Union, as geographical indication, of the Georgian names set out below is under consideration.

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 opposition 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-G4-GI@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 the name of an agricultural product or foodstuff already protected in the Union 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 (2), or with the name of a wine already protected in the Union 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 (3), or with one of the geographical indications from non-EU countries protected in the EU under bilateral/multilateral agreements publicly available at the following address: https://www.tmdn.org/giview/

(c) in the light of a trademark’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 would jeopardise the existence of an entirely or partly identical name, the existence of a trademark 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 the opponents 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 protection of these names in the European Union is subject to the successful conclusion of this procedure and subsequent legal act adding these names to the above-mentioned Agreement.

List of Geographical Indications from Georgia to be protected as Geographical Indications in the European Union for agricultural products, foodstuffs and wines (4)

Name to be protected in Georgian characters Transcription in Latin characters Type of product სალხინოს ოჯალეში Salkhino Ojaleshi Wine წარაფი Tsarapi Wine ახმეტა / ახმეტის მწვანე Akhmeta / Akhmetis Mtsvane Wine ახოები Akhoebi Wine ბოლნისი Bolnisi Wine ნინოწმინდის თაფლი Ninotsminda Taphli Honey

(1) OJ L 261, 30.8.2014, p. 4.

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

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

(4) List provided by the authorities of Georgia.