The 10th meeting of the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee (GI Sub-Committee), established in accordance with Article 306 of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, was held on October 22, 2024, in videoconference format.

The meeting was organized by the European Union, represented by the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission (DG AGRI), which currently holds the presidency of the GI Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee was chaired by Frank Bollen, Head of Unit AGRI G4 – “Neighbourhood, Enlargement and Pre-Accession Assistance”, Head of the EU Delegation to the Sub-Committee.

The delegation of the Republic of Moldova, composed of representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitization, the Office for European Integration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, was led by the Director General of AGEPI, Eugeniu Rusu. The representatives of the Customs Service, the National Agency for Food Safety and the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection also participated in the current meeting.

We should mention that AGEPI is the body responsible for the implementation in the Republic of Moldova of the provisions of the Association Agreement in the field of intellectual property, including in the field of geographical indications.

In opening the meeting of the GI Sub-Committee, the Director General of AGEPI mentioned that, following the recent referendum of October 20, 2024, in which the Republic of Moldova chose integration into the European Union, the work in this sub-committee becomes even more significant. Eugeniu Rusu appreciated the contributions of all parties and highlighted the progress made in the field of geographical indications, expressing confidence that this cooperation will continue to bring significant results.

During the meeting, the participants presented the latest developments in the field of geographical indications from both sides. The changes and updates made to the lists of geographical indications since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee and the progress in implementing the provisions related to geographical indications from the EU-RM Association Agreement were also discussed.

The discussions focused on the actions that are necessary to be carried out in order to ensure the effective protection and promotion of products with geographical indications, thus contributing to the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in this field.

According to its mandate, the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the section on geographical indications of the Association Agreement and serves as a forum for cooperation and dialogue on geographical indications between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, the presidency of the Sub-Committee is held, alternatively, by the European Union and the Republic of Moldova. On January 1, 2025, the presidency of the Geographical Indications Sub-Committee will be taken over by the Republic of Moldova.