The 11th meeting of the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee (GI Sub-Committee), established under Article 306 of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, was held on November 12 in videoconference format.

The meeting was hosted by the Republic of Moldova, which currently chairs the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee. The meeting was chaired by Eugeniu Rusu, Director General of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), as Chair of the Sub-Committee.

The event was attended by representatives of the institutions responsible for the implemention of the Association Agreement in the field of geographical indications from both sides. On behalf of the Republic of Moldova, representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Customs Service, the National Agency for Food Safety and the Office for European Integration were present. The European Union was represented by experts from the European Commission, through the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI).

Opening the meeting, Eugeniu Rusu stressed the importance of strengthening the cooperation of the Republic of Moldova with the European Union in the field of geographical indications, highlighting the progress made in implementing the provisions of the Association Agreement and the commitment of the national authorities to ensure effective protection and promotion of products with geographical indications.

During the discussions, the parties presented the latest legislative and institutional developments in the field, including the updating of the lists of protected geographical indications, the advancement of the process of harmonization with the European Union acquis and the actions taken to prevent and combat the abusive use of protected names.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged information on the updates and changes made to the lists of protected geographical indications in the two jurisdictions and agreed on the text of the draft Decision of the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee amending the annexes to the Association Agreement relating to geographical indications (Annexes XXX-A, XXX-C and XXX-D). The draft Decision provides for the adjustment of Part B of Annex XXX-A to reflect the new and revised European regulations in the field of geographical indications, as well as the updating of the lists of protected geographical indications. Once the Decision enters into force, four new geographical indications from the Republic of Moldova are to be recognised in the European Union.

The parties also agreed on the main cooperation priorities for the coming period, focused in particular on ensuring the effective implementation of the section on geographical indications of the Association Agreement, as well as on strengthening the legal and institutional framework of the Republic of Moldova, in line with European Union standards in the field. Both delegations appreciated the excellent level of cooperation within the Sub-Committee, and Mr. Vincent Cordonnier, Head of the European Union delegation at the meeting, underlined the quality of the dialogue and the promptness with which the Moldovan side reacts to the initiatives and requests submitted by the European Union within the competence of the Sub-Committee.

The Geographical Indications Sub-Committee represents an efficient platform for dialogue, coordination and exchange of good practices between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, contributing to the strengthening of relations with the EU and its Member States and the approximation of national standards to European ones in the field of geographical indications.