Ukraine's Rada passes bill on geographical indications

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed bill No. 1065 to amend certain legislative acts on improving the legal protection of geographical indications. A total of 310 lawmakers backed the draft law in the first reading, an UNIAN correspondent reported on September 11.

The document provides for the implementation of the requirements of Articles 204-207 of the Association Agreement, as well as the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated November 21, 2012, on the quality of agricultural and food products.

The draft law is designed to ensure Ukraine's European integration commitments to harmonizing its current legislation on the protection of rights to geographical indications with the EU law, the explanatory note said. To this end, the document envisages the following: to provide a new definition of the terms "geographical indication" and "name designating the origin of goods;" specify conditions for granting legal protection to a geographical indication and the grounds for refusing to provide such protection; and determine conditions for the provision of legal protection for similar geographical indications. In addition, the bill specifies the circle of persons entitled to state registration of a geographical indication, revises requirements for a registration application, improves the procedure for examining the relevant applications, as well as determines requirements for technical conditions of goods applied for indication. The draft law also sets the list of rights and obligations arising from state registration of geographical indications, etc. Ukrainian parliamentarian Roksolana Pidlasa says Ukraine, having signed the Association Agreement, has committed itself to protect European geographical brands from fake. So, Ukraine agrees that champagne can originate exclusively from the Champagne region. According to her, Ukrainian producers will no longer be able to produce champagne in Ukraine. In turn, Ukrainian brands will be protected in the EU state, she added.