Applicant in the national stage of the procedure of registration
1. Applications for the registration of geographical indications may only be submitted by an applicant producer group. An applicant producer group shall be an association, irrespective of its legal form, composed of producers of the same product the name of which is proposed for registration. Public bodies and other interested parties may assist in the preparation of the application and in the related procedure.
2. For the purposes of this Title, an authority designated by a Member State may be deemed to be an applicant producer group with respect to geographical indications of a spirit drink, if it is not feasible for the producers concerned to form a group by reason of their number, geographical location or organisational characteristics. In such a case, the application referred to in Article 10(2) shall state those reasons.
3. For the purposes of this Title, a single producer may be deemed to be an applicant producer group, where it is shown that all of the following conditions are fulfilled:
(a)
that producer is the only producer willing to submit an application for the registration of a geographical indication;
(b)
the geographical area concerned is defined on the basis of the link referred to in Article 49(1), point (f), of this Regulation, Article 94(1), point (i), of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and Article 22(1), point (f), of Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and not on the basis of property boundaries; and
(c)
the geographical area concerned has characteristics which differ appreciably from those of neighbouring areas or the characteristics of the product are different from those produced in neighbouring areas or, with respect to geographical indications of a spirit drink, the spirit drink has a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic which is clearly attributable to its geographical origin.
4. In the case of a geographical indication that designates a cross-border geographical area, several applicant producer groups from different Member States or third countries may lodge a joint application for the registration of a geographical indication. Such a joint application shall be addressed to all of the Member States concerned.
National stage of the procedure of registration
1. An application for the registration of a geographical indication concerning a product originating in the Union shall be addressed to the competent authorities of the Member State in which the product originates.
2. The application referred to in paragraph 1 shall comprise:
(a)
the product specification;
(b)
the single document; and
(c)
the accompanying documentation referred to in Article 12(1).
3. The Member State shall examine the application for registration in order to check that it meets the conditions for registration laid down in the respective provisions for wine, spirit drinks or agricultural products, as appropriate.
4. As part of the examination referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article, the Member State concerned shall conduct a national opposition procedure. The national opposition procedure shall ensure publication of the application for registration with the exception of the documents referred to in Article 12(1), points (b) and (c), and shall provide for a period of at least one month from the date of publication within which any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in the Member State in which the product concerned originates may lodge an opposition to the application for registration with that Member State.
5. The Member State concerned shall establish the modalities of the opposition procedure. Those modalities may include criteria for the admissibility of an opposition, a period of consultation between the applicant producer group and each opponent, and submission of a report from the applicant producer group on the outcome of the consultations including any changes the applicant producer group has made to the application for registration.
6. If, after the examination of the application for registration and the assessment of the results of any opposition received and any changes to the application agreed with the applicant producer group, the Member State concerned considers that the requirements of this Regulation are met, it may take a favourable decision and submit an application for registration at Union stage as referred to in Article 13.
7. The Member State concerned shall ensure that any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest has an opportunity to lodge an appeal. The Member State concerned shall also ensure that a favourable decision and the corresponding product specification are published, and shall provide electronic access to the product specification.
8. In the case of a joint application as referred to in Article 9(4), the application shall be addressed to all Member States concerned and the related national procedures, including the opposition stage, shall be carried out in all of those Member States.
Transitional national protection
1. A Member State may, on a temporary basis, grant transitional protection to a name at national level, with effect from the date on which an application for registration at Union stage is lodged with the Commission.
2. Such national protection shall cease on the date on which either the implementing act deciding on the application for registration, adopted in accordance with Article 21, enters into force or the application for registration is withdrawn.
3. Where a name is not registered under this Regulation, the consequences of the transitional national protection shall be the sole responsibility of the Member State concerned.
4. The measures taken by Member States in accordance with this Article shall produce effects at national level only, and they shall have no effect on the internal market or in international trade.
Accompanying documentation
1. The documentation accompanying the application for registration shall comprise:
(a)
where relevant, information explaining any proposed limitations on the use or on the protection of the geographical indication, and any transitional measures, proposed by the applicant producer group;
(b)
the name and contact details of the applicant producer group;
(c)
the name and contact details of one or more of the competent authorities, delegated or product certification bodies or natural persons verifying compliance with the product specification in accordance with:
(i)
Article 116a of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards wine;
(ii)
Article 39 of this Regulation as regards spirit drinks and agricultural products;
(d)
any other information deemed appropriate by the Member State concerned or by the applicant producer group where applicable.
2. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down the format and online presentation of the accompanying documentation provided for in paragraph 1, points (a), (b) and (c), of this Article in the application for registration at Union stage as provided in Article 13, and provide for the exclusion or anonymisation of personal data. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Application for registration at Union stage
1. For geographical indications concerning products originating in the Union, the application for registration shall comprise:
(a)
the single document;
(b)
the accompanying documentation referred to in Article 12(1), points (a), (b) and (c);
(c)
a declaration by the Member State to which the application was addressed at the national stage of the procedure of registration, confirming that the application meets the conditions for registration;
(d)
any transitional period granted or proposed by the national authorities following the national examination and opposition procedure as well as information on the related admissible oppositions; and
(e)
the electronic publication reference to the up-to-date product specification.
2. For geographical indications concerning products originating outside the Union, the application for registration at Union stage shall comprise:
(a)
the product specification with its publication reference;
(b)
the single document;
(c)
the accompanying documentation referred to in Article 12(1), points (a), (b) and (c);
(d)
legal proof of protection of the geographical indication in its country of origin; and
(e)
a power of attorney where the applicant is represented by an agent.
3. The joint application for registration referred to in Article 9(4) shall include, in addition to the single document, as relevant, the documents listed in paragraph 1, points (b) to (e), or 2, points (c) (d) and (e), of this Article from all Member States or third countries concerned.
4. The documents referred to in this Article shall be drafted in one of the official languages of the Union.
5. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down detailed rules on procedures, the form and presentation of applications for registration at Union stage, including applications concerning more than one national territory. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Submission of the application for registration at Union stage
1. An application for registration of a geographical indication at Union stage shall be submitted to the Commission electronically, through a digital system.
Upon receiving a request from one or more Member States, the Commission shall adapt the digital system to make it suitable to be used in the national part of the procedure for registration of a geographical indication by any Member State that so wishes.
2. Where the application for registration relates to a geographical area outside the Union, the application shall be submitted to the Commission, either directly by an applicant, namely a producer group or a single producer, or via the authorities of the third country concerned.
A single producer of a third country shall meet the conditions set out in Article 9(3). A producer group of a third country shall be a producer group which works with a product, the name of which is proposed for registration.
3. A joint application for registration referred to in Article 9(4) shall be submitted by either:
(a)
one of the Member States concerned; or
(b)
an applicant of a third country, namely a producer group or a single producer, either directly or through the authorities of that third country.
4. The names for which applications for registration at Union stage have been submitted shall be made public by the Commission through the digital system referred to in paragraph 1.
Examination by the Commission and publication for opposition
1. The Commission shall examine applications for registration submitted in accordance with Article 14(1), (2) and (3). It shall check that the applications contain the required information and that they do not contain manifest errors, taking into account the outcome of the national examination and opposition procedure carried out by the Member State concerned.
2. The examination shall not exceed a period of six months from the day of the reception of the application. The Commission may request from the applicant any necessary additional information or modification of the application. Where the Commission addresses such requests to the applicant, the examination period shall not exceed a period of five months from the day on which the Commission receives the applicant’s reply.
3. In the event that the Commission does not conclude the examination referred to in paragraph 2 within the prescribed deadlines, it shall inform the applicant of the reasons for the delay in writing, indicating the estimated time necessary to conclude the examination, which shall not exceed one month.
4. Where the Commission considers that the conditions laid down in Articles 9, 10, 12, 13, 28, 29, 30, 31, 46 and 47, Article 48(1) and (2) and Article 50 of this Regulation, in Articles 93 and 95 and Article 100(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, and in Article 3(4), Article 23 and Article 34(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/787, as appropriate, are fulfilled, it shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Union the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification.
National challenge to an application for registration
1. Member States shall inform the Commission of any national administrative or judicial proceedings that may prejudice the registration of a geographical indication.
2. The Commission shall be exempted from the obligation to meet the deadlines to perform the examination referred to in Article 15(2) and to inform the Member State of the reasons for the delay where it receives a communication from that Member State, concerning an application for registration in accordance with Article 10(6), which:
(a)
informs the Commission that the decision referred to in Article 10(6) has been invalidated at national level by an immediately applicable but not final administrative or judicial decision; or
(b)
requests the Commission to suspend the examination because national administrative or judicial proceedings have been initiated to challenge the validity of the application and the Member State considers that those proceedings are based on valid grounds.
3. The exemption provided for in paragraph 2 shall have effect until the Commission is informed by the Member State concerned that the original application has been restored or that the Member State withdraws its request for suspension.
4. If the favourable decision of a Member State referred to in Article 10(6) has been invalidated in full or in part by a final decision taken by a national court, that Member State shall consider appropriate action such as withdrawal or modification of the application for registration at Union stage, as necessary.
Union opposition procedure
1. Within three months from the date of publication in the Official Journal of the European Union of the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification in accordance with Article 15(4), the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country may lodge an opposition with the Commission.
2. Any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a Member State other than the one from which the application for registration at Union stage was submitted may lodge an opposition with the Member State, in which it is established or resident, within a time limit permitting that Member State to examine that opposition and to decide whether to lodge it with the Commission in accordance with paragraph 1. Member States may specify that time limit in their national law.
3. An opposition shall state that it opposes the registration of a geographical indication. An opposition that does not contain that statement shall be void.
4. The Commission shall examine the admissibility of the opposition. If the Commission considers that the opposition is admissible, it shall, within five months from the date of publication referred to in Article 15(4), invite the opponent and the applicant to engage in appropriate consultations for a reasonable period that shall not exceed three months. The Commission shall transmit to the applicant the opposition and all the documents provided by the opponent. At any time during that period, the Commission may, at the request of the applicant, extend the deadline for the consultations once by a maximum of three months.
5. The opponent and the applicant shall start appropriate consultations without undue delay. They shall provide each other with the relevant information to assess whether the application for registration complies with this Regulation, Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 or Regulation (EU) 2019/787, as appropriate.
6. Within one month from the end of the consultations referred to in paragraph 4, the applicant shall notify the Commission of the result of the consultations, including all the information exchanged, whether agreement was reached with one or all of the opponents, and of any consequent changes to the application for registration. The opponent may also notify the Commission of its position at the end of the consultations.
7. Where, following the end of the consultations referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article, the data published in accordance with Article 15(4) have been modified, the Commission shall repeat its examination of the application for registration as modified. Where the application for registration has been modified in a substantial manner, and the Commission considers that the modified application meets the conditions for registration, it shall publish again the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification in accordance with Article 15(4).
8. The documents referred to in this Article shall be drafted in one of the official languages of the Union.
9. The Commission shall finalise its assessment of the application for registration at Union stage, taking into account any request for transitional periods, the outcome of the opposition procedure and any other matters arising subsequently with regard to its examination that may imply a change of the single document.
10. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 87 supplementing this Regulation by laying down detailed procedures and deadlines for the opposition procedure.
11. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down the format and presentation of oppositions and provide for the exclusion or anonymisation of personal data. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Notice of comments
1. Within three months from the date of publication of the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification in accordance with Article 15(4), the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person established or resident in a third country may submit to the Commission a notice of comments.
2. A notice of comments shall point out any error or contain additional information in relation to the application for registration, including possible infringement of Union law. A notice of comments shall not confer any rights on the authorities or persons referred to in paragraph 1 nor trigger an opposition procedure.
3. Where, following the submission of a notice of comments the data published in accordance with Article 15(4) have been modified in a substantial manner, the Commission shall publish again the single document and the reference to the publication of the product specification in accordance with that paragraph.
4. The Commission may, by means of implementing acts, lay down the format and presentation of notices of comments. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Grounds for opposition
1. An opposition lodged in accordance with Article 17 shall be admissible only if the opponent shows that:
(a)
the proposed geographical indication does not comply with the definition of the geographical indication or with the requirements referred to in this Regulation, Section 2 of Chapter I of Title II of Part II of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 or Article 3(4) and Chapter III of Regulation (EU) 2019/787 as applicable;
(b)
registration of the proposed geographical indication would be prevented by one or more of the circumstances referred to in Article 28, Article 29, Article 30 or Article 48(1); or
(c)
the registration of the proposed geographical indication would jeopardise the existence of a wholly or partially identical name or of a trade mark or the existence of products which have been legally on the market for at least five years preceding the date of the publication of the information provided for in Article 15(4).
2. The admissibility of an opposition shall be assessed by the Commission in relation to the territory of the Union.
Transitional period for the use of geographical indications
1. For products originating in a Member State or a third country the designation of which consists of or contains a name that contravenes Article 26(1), the Commission may, by means of implementing acts, grant a transitional period of up to five years to enable the continued use of that designation, under which they were marketed, provided that an admissible opposition, under Article 10(4) or Article 17, to the application for registration of the geographical indication whose protection is contravened shows that:
(a)
the registration of the geographical indication concerned would jeopardise the existence of a wholly or partially identical name in the product designation; or
(b)
such products have been legally marketed with that name in the product designation in the territory concerned for at least five years preceding the publication provided for in Article 15(4).
2. The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2) except those where an admissible opposition is lodged in accordance with Article 10(4), which shall be adopted without applying that examination procedure.
3. The Commission may, by means of implementing acts, extend the transitional period granted under paragraph 1 up to a total period of 15 years or grant directly a transitional period of up to 15 years provided that it is also shown that:
(a)
the name in the designation referred to in paragraph 1 has been in legal use consistently and fairly for at least 25 years before the application for registration of the geographical indication concerned was submitted to the Commission;
(b)
the purpose of using the name in the designation referred to in paragraph 1 has not, at any time, been to profit from the reputation of the name of the product that has been registered as a geographical indication; and
(c)
the consumer has not been or could not have been misled as to the true origin of the product.
4. The implementing acts referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2) except those where an admissible opposition is lodged under Article 10(4), which shall be adopted without applying that examination procedure.
5. When using a designation referred to in paragraphs 1 and 3, the indication of the country of origin shall clearly and visibly appear on the labelling and, where applicable, on the product description when it is marketed online.
6. Regarding applications for the registration of geographical indications and Union amendments, in order to overcome temporary difficulties with the long-term objective of ensuring that all operators of a product designated under a geographical indication in the area concerned comply with the related product specification, a Member State may grant a transitional period for compliance, of up to 10 years, with effect from the date on which the application is lodged with the Commission, provided that the operators concerned have legally marketed that product using the name concerned continuously for at least five years preceding the lodging of the application to the authorities of that Member State and have referred to that fact in the national opposition procedure referred to in Article 10(4).
7. Where the time between the application for registration at Union stage and the registration of the name concerned exceeds five years, the Member State may extend the transitional period by up to five years. The decision to extend the transitional period shall be communicated without delay to the Commission, which shall publish it in the Official Journal of the European Union .
8. Paragraph 6 shall apply mutatis mutandis to a geographical indication referring to a geographical area situated in a third country, with the exception of the opposition procedure.
Commission decision on the application for registration
1. Where, on the basis of the information available to the Commission from the examination carried out in accordance with Article 15, the Commission considers that any of the conditions referred to in that Article is not fulfilled, it shall, by means of implementing acts, reject the application for registration. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
2. In the absence of an admissible opposition, the Commission shall, by means of implementing acts and without applying the procedure referred to in Article 88(2), register the geographical indication. The Commission may take into account the notices of comments received in accordance with Article 18.
3. Where the Commission receives an admissible opposition, it shall, following the procedure referred to in Article 17 and taking into account the results thereof:
(a)
adopt implementing acts registering the geographical indication without applying the procedure referred to in Article 88(2), if an agreement has been reached, after checking that the agreement complies with Union law, and, if necessary, amend the information published in accordance with Article 15(4) provided that such amendments are not substantial; or
(b)
adopt implementing acts deciding on the application for registration, if an agreement has not been reached; those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
4. The implementing acts registering a geographical indication shall provide for any conditions applicable to the registration and for the republication for information of the single document published in accordance with Article 15(4) and modified following the opposition procedure in the case of modifications other than those referred to in Article 17(7) and Article 18(3).
5. Commission implementing regulations on registration and Commission implementing decisions on rejection shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union , L series.
Union register of geographical indications
1. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts and without applying the procedure referred to in Article 88(2), establish and maintain a publicly accessible Union register of geographical indications. That register shall have three parts corresponding to geographical indications of wine, of spirit drinks and of agricultural products respectively. Files entered in that register after 13 May 2024 shall be in a machine-readable format as defined in Article 2, point (13), of Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 28 ) .
2. The EUIPO shall maintain and keep up-to-date the Union register with respect to registrations, amendments and cancellations of geographical indications.
3. Each geographical indication of wine and of agricultural products shall be identified in the Union register of geographical indications as a ‘protected designation of origin’ or a ‘protected geographical indication’, as the case may be, and each geographical indication of spirit drinks shall be identified as a ‘geographical indication’.
4. Geographical indications concerning products from third countries that are protected in the Union under an international agreement to which the Union is a contracting party may be entered in the Union register of geographical indications. In such cases, the Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, register such geographical indications. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
As regards wine and agricultural products, unless specifically identified in the agreements referred to in the first subparagraph as protected designations of origin, the names of such products shall be entered in the Union register of geographical indications as protected geographical indications.
5. Each geographical indication shall be entered in the Union register of geographical indications in its original script. Where the original script is not in Latin characters, the geographical indication shall be transcribed or transliterated in Latin characters and both versions of the geographical indication shall be entered in the Union register of geographical indications and shall have equal status.
6. The Commission shall make public and regularly update the list of the international agreements referred to in paragraph 4 as well as the list of geographical indications protected under those agreements.
7. The Commission shall retain, in digital or paper form, documentation related to the registration of a geographical indication. In the event of cancellation of the registration, the Commission shall retain the documentation for 10 years thereafter.
8. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, specify the content and presentation of the Union register of geographical indications. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Extracts from the Union register of geographical indications
1. Any person shall be able to download, easily and free of charge, an official extract from the Union register of geographical indications that provides proof of registration of the geographical indication, and other relevant data, including the date of application for the registration of the geographical indication or other priority date. The official extract of registration entered in that register after 13 May 2024 shall be in a machine-readable format, as defined in Article 2, point (13), of Directive (EU) 2019/1024. That official extract may be used as an authentic certificate in legal, judicial, administrative or similar proceedings.
2. Where a producer group has been recognised by the national authorities in accordance with Article 33, that group shall be identified as the representative of the producers of a product designated by a geographical indication in the Union register of geographical indications and in the official extract referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.
3. The Commission may, by means of implementing acts, specify the format and online presentation of extracts from the Union register of geographical indications and provide for the exclusion or anonymisation of personal data. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Amendments to a product specification
1. A producer group of a product the name of which is a registered geographical indication may apply for the approval of an amendment to the product specification. Where a recognised producer group exists, that group shall be the only one entitled to apply.
2. Amendments to a product specification shall be classified into two categories:
(a)
Union amendments, requiring an opposition procedure at Union level; and
(b)
standard amendments to be dealt with at Member State or third country level.
3. An amendment shall be considered as a Union amendment if it entails a change of the single document or its equivalent and:
(a)
includes a change:
(i)
for agricultural products, in the name or in the use of the name;
(ii)
for wine, in the name or in the use of the name, or in the category of product or products designated by the geographical indication;
(iii)
for spirit drinks, in the name or any part of the name or in the use of the name, or in the category of product or products designated by the geographical indication, or in the legal name; or
(b)
risks voiding the link to the geographical area referred to in the single document; or
(c)
entails further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
The criteria referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) shall be verified by Member States.
4. Any other amendment to a product specification of a registered geographical indication, that is not a Union amendment in accordance with paragraph 3, shall be considered as a standard amendment.
5. A standard amendment shall be considered as a temporary amendment when it concerns a temporary change in the product specification resulting from the imposition of obligatory sanitary and phytosanitary measures by the public authorities or a temporary amendment necessary because of a natural disaster or adverse weather conditions, or significant market disturbances due to exceptional circumstances, including geopolitical events, affecting the supply of raw materials, provided that the natural disaster, adverse weather conditions or significant market disturbances are formally recognised by the competent authorities.
6. Union amendments shall be approved by the Commission. The approval procedure shall follow, mutatis mutandis , the procedure laid down in Articles 9 and 10 and Articles 12 to 21.
7. Applications for Union amendments originating from outside the Union shall contain proof that the requested amendment complies with laws on the protection of geographical indications in force in that third country.
8. If an application for a Union amendment to the product specification of a registered geographical indication also includes standard amendments or temporary amendments, the Commission shall examine the Union amendment only. Any standard amendments or temporary amendments shall be deemed as not having been submitted. The examination of such applications shall focus on the proposed Union amendments. Where appropriate, the Commission or the Member State concerned may invite the applicant to modify other elements of the product specification.
9. Standard amendments shall be assessed and approved by Member States or third countries in whose territory the geographical area of the product concerned is located and communicated to the Commission. The Commission shall make those amendments public.
10. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 87 supplementing this Regulation by laying down provisions on Union amendments to product specifications of geographical indications for which no single document was published, on admissibility of applications for Union amendments, on the relationship between Union and standard amendments, and on standard amendments, including their publication.
11. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down detailed rules on procedures, the form and presentation of an application for a Union amendment and on procedures, the form and communication of standard amendments to the Commission. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Cancellation of the registration
1. The Commission may, on its own initiative or on a duly substantiated request by a Member State, a third country or any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, by means of implementing acts, cancel the registration of a geographical indication in the following cases:
(a)
where compliance with the requirements for the product specification can no longer be ensured; or
(b)
where no product has been placed on the market under the geographical indication for at least the preceding seven consecutive years.
2. The Commission may also adopt implementing acts cancelling the registration at the request of the producers of the product marketed under the registered name. Where a recognised producer group exists, that producer group shall be the only one entitled to lodge such a request.
3. The registration of the name as an intellectual property right other than a geographical indication, in particular as a trade mark, shall be prohibited for one year after the cancellation of the registration of a geographical indication, unless such intellectual property right had existed, or such a trade mark had been registered, before the registration of the geographical indication.
4. Articles 10, 13 to 17 and 21 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the cancellation procedure.
Oppositions shall be admissible only if they show continued commercial reliance on the registered name by an interested natural or legal person.
5. Before adopting the implementing acts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the Commission shall consult the authorities of the Member State, the authorities of the third country or, where possible, the third country producer which had originally applied for the registration of the geographical indication concerned, unless the cancellation is directly requested by those original applicants. The consultation period shall be at least one month.
6. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down detailed rules on procedures, the form and presentation of the requests for the cancellation of a registration.
7. The implementing acts referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 6 of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 88(2).
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
