To Develop the GI System in Georgia Sakpatenti is Familiarizing with the Best Practice of the Kingdom of Spain

The joint delegation of the National Intellectual Property Center and the Parliament of Georgia is visiting Valdepeñas to get acquainted with the geographical indications system of the Kingdom of Spain. The delegation is composed of Mr. Soso Giorgadze, Sakpatenti Chairman, Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson, and Mr. Gela Samkharauli, First Deputy Chairperson of the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Parliament. Within the visit, on March 24, a meeting was held at the Regulatory Council of the association of Spanish appellation of origin “Manchego” cheese, which controls the compliance of products protected by geographical indications with quality requirements defined by the specifications.

Representatives of the Regulatory Council provided to the delegation members information on the organization chart and functions. The presentation was delivered on each stage of certification procedure, including preparation of an application for registration, requirements, obligations and evaluation. In addition, internal and external control mechanisms of production and follow-up audits to maintain accreditation were considered in detail. The participants visited local producers with long tradition of protection of GIs, where they familiarized with the production procedures in compliance with the specifications.

The visit, which is aimed to get acquainted and share the best practice in order to develop the geographical indications system in Georgia, was organized within the EU Georgia Intellectual Property Project (EUGIPP). EUGIPP is the international cooperation project funded by the European Union, implemented to support the intellectual property system in Georgia. On the part of the project, Mr. Andrea Iori, EUGIPP Project Officer, International Cooperation Service, and Mr. Alvaro Garcia Alcazar, Team Leader, Project Coordinator, International Cooperation Service, participated in the meetings.