Union register
Article 31
Open ↗1. The Union register referred to in Article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 shall be established as a digital solution allowing the technical storage of, and public access to, all entries concerning geographical indications, including applications for registration, for Union amendment and for cancellation, rejections, publications for opposition, registrations, approvals of Union amendments, publications of standard and temporary amendments, and cancellations. The Union register shall be made available in all official languages of the Union. 2. In addition to the data referred to in Article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 and specific references in this Regulation and Delegated Regulation C(2025) 9101, the following data shall be recorded in the Union register: (a) the registered name (or names) of the product, including their transcriptions or transliterations in Latin characters, where applicable; multiple names, transcriptions and transliterations shall be recorded as alternative names, separated by a space, a forward slash and a second space; (b) the date of submission of the application to the Office; (c) the date of publication in the Union register; (d) the date of registration; (e) the decision registering the geographical indication; (f) the electronic reference to the Official Journal of the European Union pursuant to Article 29(6) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411; (g) the file number; (h) the single document, including the electronic reference to the publication of the product specification; (i) if an electronic reference to the publication of the product specification is not available, the product specification; (j) the opinions by the Advisory Board delivered with regard to individual applications, if applicable; (k) an indication of the control authority in the case of geographical indications originating in a third country. 3. Where the Office approves a Union amendment to a product specification or receives a communication of an approved, or annulled, standard amendment to the product specification that necessitates a change to the information recorded in the Union register, it shall update the data listed in paragraphs 2 as appropriate, with effect from the date on which the amendment is applicable in the Union. Electronic references to the publication of communications of standard amendments and temporary amendments shall be recorded by the Office. In the case of direct registrations, the amendment with effect from the date of the Office’s decision on the standard amendment and the temporary amendment shall be recorded in the Union register. 4. Where the registration of a geographical indication has been cancelled, the Union register shall indicate the names as cancelled in accordance with Article 25(3) and (4) of this Regulation. The Union register shall maintain a record of the cancellation, including the electronic reference to the decision of cancellation. 5. Where the Office receives an application for registration, or a request for approval of a Union amendment or a request for cancellation, under Article 22(7) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411, the name, the file number, the type of the product, the country of origin, the application type, the date of application and the status of the received application or request, shall be recorded in the Union register. The date of publication and the electronic reference to that publication shall also be recorded once the application is published in the Union register. The Union register shall keep a record of the decision to reject an application. 6. The data referred to in paragraphs 2 to 5 shall remain in the Union register. 7. Member States shall be responsible for keeping the electronic reference to the product specification active and properly functioning as long as the geographical indication remains protected. The electronic reference shall lead directly to the last updated version of the individual product specification. 8. The processing of the data concerning the entries set out in paragraph 2 of this Article and in Article 37(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411, including any personal data, shall take place for the purposes of: (a) administering the applications and/or registrations as provided for in this Regulation and acts adopted pursuant to it; (b) maintaining a public register for inspection by, and the information of, public authorities and economic operators, to enable them to exercise the rights conferred on them by this Regulation and to be informed about the existence of prior geographical indications; and (c) producing reports and statistics enabling the Office to optimise its operations and improve the functioning of the system for the protection of geographical indications. 9. All the data, including personal data, concerning the entries referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article and in Article 37(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411, is of public interest and may be accessed by any third party. The entries in the Union register shall be kept for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed.