INFORMATION NOTICE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION – Names from Iceland to be protected as Geographical Indications in the European Union
Date: 2023-11-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Iceland, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh meat, product designation, public consultation








C_202301381EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1381


30.11.2023






INFORMATION NOTICE – PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Names from Iceland to be protected as Geographical Indications in the European Union
(C/2023/1381)

Pursuant to Article 10(3) of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1) (‘the Agreement’), the Icelandic authorities have presented one additional geographical indication to be protected under the Agreement. The European Commission is currently considering whether this geographical indication 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-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 the protection of the name proposed would:






(a)


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)


conflict with a homonymous name which would mislead the consumer into believing that product comes from another territory;










(c)


conflict with the name of an agricultural product or foodstuff already protected in the Union:






(i)


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),










(ii)


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/














(d)


in the light of a trademark’s reputation and renown and the length of time it has been used, be liable to mislead the consumer as to the true identity of the product;










(e)


jeopardise the existence of an entirely or partly identical name or 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;










(f)


conflict with a name that is considered 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 this name in the European Union is subject to the successful conclusion of the discussions led under Article 10(3) of the Agreement and subsequent legal act.

List of Geographical Indications from Iceland to be protected as Geographical Indications in the European Union for agricultural products and foodstuffs
                   (3)







Name to be protected


Type of product




Íslenskt lambakjöt


Fresh meat (and offal)






(1)  
            OJ L 274, 24.10.2017, p. 3.

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

(3)  List of geographical indications registered in Iceland provided by the authorities of Iceland in the framework of the on-going discussions according to Article 10(3) of the Agreement.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1381/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)