Geographical indication protection system for non-agricultural products

Question for written answer  E-001481/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Dita Charanzová (Renew)

On 25 November 2020, the Commission adopted the Action Plan on Intellectual Property to support the EU’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Its aim is to strengthen the protection of agricultural geographical indications (GIs). However, an EU-level protection system for non-agricultural GIs, including traditional products such as Bohemian crystal or Solingen cutlery, is still only being considered.

Last year, a European Parliamentary Research Service study found that introducing an EU scheme for non-agricultural products would increase bilateral exports by 4.9 – 6.6 %, create up to 338 000 new jobs in the EU, and boost rural development through the direct support of locally-based producers, overall benefiting intra-EU trade.

The Commission has been studying this possibility for years, with a green paper in 2014 and several subsequent studies, and Parliament has been vocally in favour of it submitting a legislative proposal on this matter.

• 1.How does the Commission plan to organise this process? When does it expect to launch an impact assessment and stakeholder consultations?
• 2.How is it dealing with this matter regarding international trade agreements, namely the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights?