Recently, the Industrial Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Georgian Parliament held a meeting to discuss the draft law on place of origin and geographical indications proposed by the Land Issues Committee. The purpose of proposing this draft is to support the development of the country of origin and geographical indication system in Georgia.
Making the geographical indication system operate more efficiently is one of Georgia's strategic directions for promoting agricultural development. The good operation of this system helps to enhance export potential, enter new markets, and create a more competitive environment. At the same time, the role that geographical indications can play in the regional development process of a country is also very important, such as creating new employment opportunities, increasing income levels, reducing population outflow in related areas, developing agricultural tourism, and raising people's awareness of protecting intellectual property rights.
It should be pointed out here that the development of a geographical indication system is one of the important issues in the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) signed between Georgia and the European Union. Therefore, establishing an administrative and systematic mechanism based on the above-mentioned draft law will help to efficiently operate and implement this system. This bill will make new regulations on issues related to the registration process. At the same time, a new mechanism for implementing certification and national supervision will also be introduced, and relevant parties will check whether the product characteristics meet specific specifications based on this mechanism. These specifications are often written by producers on a voluntary basis for specific goods. In addition, these regulations will also be subject to approval by the competent authorities and require mandatory enforcement. Of course, the procedures for adopting and approving these specifications must fully comply with EU legislation.
This bill, written by the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti), also aims to continue strengthening the role of producers and other associations to ensure the maintenance and improvement of product quality. The drafting of the bill drew on the best practices and experiences of the European Union, Italy, and France in creating and developing geographical indications, as well as in their use and regulation.
As of now, a total of 64 products produced in Georgia, such as wine, mineral water, and cheese, have completed registration work, including 38 country of origin names and 26 geographical indications.
(Compiled from www.sakpatenti.gov.ge)