Georgia has Acceded to the Geneva Act

Georgia has acceded to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (hereinafter referred to as the Geneva Act). The Georgian Parliament supported the ratification of the Act on March 18, 2025. As a result, the scope of protection for Georgia's unique products has been significantly extended to cover 23 contracting states and two intergovernmental organizations that are parties to the Geneva Act—the European Union and the African Intellectual Property Organization.

The Geneva Act was adopted in 2015 in Geneva to modernize the “Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications” and it entered into force on February 26, 2020. The Lisbon Agreement itself is an international agreement that regulates only appellations of origin and does not cover geographical indications. The Geneva Act has made it possible for the contracting parties to extend to new important markets the protection of geographical indications, alongside that of appellations of origin. 

Geographical indications as well as appellations of origin are unique products originating from a specific geographical place. However, a geographical indication is a wider concept and the areas of distribution of a product having high quality and reputation, marked  with this sign, can extend to the entire territory of a country, whereas an appellation of origin covers only a specific region or microzone.

The accession to the Geneva Act was preceded by a reform implemented by the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti” (hereinafter referred to as Sakpatenti). In particular, the draft Law of Georgia “On Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods” was prepared and adopted by the Parliament of Georgia on September 21, 2023. The above-mentioned Law has regulated in a different way the procedure of registration of geographical indications and appellations of origin, in particular, together with Sakpatenti, the National Commission for Reviewing an Appellation of Origin and a Geographical Indication was given an opportunity to be involved in the process. In addition, by increasing the functions of producers’ unions, the Law has facilitated their strengthening. Along with this, it has established the system for controlling products marked with appellations of origin and geographical indications in accordance with international practice. It is important that the reform was implemented with the support of the European Union, within the Twinning Project “Establishing Efficient Protection and Control System of Geographical Indications (GIs) in Georgia” and was aimed at harmonization with the Geneva Act. The fact that Sakpatenti granted the status of geographical indication and appellation of origin to six more unique Georgian products last year and this year should be considered a result of its effective policy in this direction

It should be noted that geographical indications and appellations of origin inform consumers about the origin of a specific product and the unique characteristics attributable to its place of origin, the environmental conditions existing there and the traditional knowledge of production disseminated among the local population, which ultimately defines the distinctiveness and uniqueness of each such product. 

At present, 39 appellations of origin and 31 geographical indications are registered in Georgia. Among these are appellations of origin of wine: Khvanchkara, Tsinandali, Akhasheni; mineral waters: Nabeghlavi, Sairme, Borjomi; geographical indications: Qvevri, Chacha, Churchkhela, Sulguni and others. By acceding to the Geneva Act, Georgia has gained the opportunity to protect its registered appellations of origin and geographical indications through a streamlined and flexible international legal mechanism.