Meeting of EU-Georgia Sub-Committee on Geographical Indications Took Place in Sakpatenti

Today, on March 14, a meeting of the EU-Georgia Sub-Committee on Geographical Indications, envisaged by the Association Agreement with the European Union, took place at Tbilisi Office of the National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia Sakpatenti. During the meeting, Decision No1/2018 of the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee modifying Annexes XVII-C and XVII-D to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, was signed.

The given Decision provides renewal list of geographical indications, protected according to the principle of reciprocity on the basis of the Association Agreement. In particular, as a result of signed Decision four new Georgian geographical indications: “Tqibuli tea”, “Machakhela honey”, “Kutaisi greens” and “Akhalkalaki potato” has been granted protection on the territory of the European Union. The list of EU geographical indications, protected on the territory of Georgia, was also renewed. 

At the meeting, the parties discussed cases of infringement of rights on Georgian geographical indications (“Khvanchkara”, “Kindzmarauli”, “Churchkhela”) in the European Union countries, in particular, Estonia and Latvia, and considered issues of rights enforcement and implementation of protection mechanisms by the European Union in accordance with the Association Agreement. In addition, attention was focused on other significant issues related to the geographical indications systems of the parties. 

The EU-Georgia Sub-Committee on Geographical Indications is set up to regulate GI-related issues between the parties, on the basis of the Association Agreement. The Sub-Committee meetings are held annually. Today the third meeting took place.