What are the best practices of national competent authorities dealing with the registration of geographical indications (GIs) in the EU and beyond? What are the challenges of the new legal regulation under Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products and Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products? How does the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) interact with craft and agricultural GI producers? What are the current and emerging areas of economic activity, and what best practices can GI producers from different countries learn from?

 

These and many other issues were the focus of the international conference on geographical indications ‘Preserving Heritage, Shaping the Future’, which took place on 28-29 January 2025 at the EUIPO headquarters (Alicante, Spain).

 

The event was organised by EUIPO and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) and Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI).

 

 

The future of the GIs: an interactive dialogue

 

The aim of the event was to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of the new legal regulation on geographical indications for craft and industrial products, as well as for wine, spirits and agricultural products. The conference became a platform for the exchange of experience between European institutions, national competent authorities, craft, agricultural and wine producers, as well as EUIPO, which is responsible for the implementation of the new legal regulation.

 

In this international conference, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation (UANIPIO, the Ukrainian IP Office) was represented by:

 

• Ms Liubov Maidanyk, Deputy Director;

 

• Ms Olha Tenova, Leading Examiner of the Unit for Trademarks and Geographical Applications Substantive Examination, Division for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications Examination, Industrial Property Examination Department.

 

The Ukrainian Delegation also included:

 

• Mr Mykola Hora, Head of the Expert Group on Agricultural Policy, Consumer Protection and Technical Regulation at the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration;

 

• Ms Oksana Bakunovets, Director, “Krolevets Towels” Municipal Enterprise;

 

• Ms Tetiana Lisna, Director, “Vepol” Patent Attorneys Agency, patent attorney of Ukraine.

 

The Ukrainian Delegation

 

Commenting on the importance of the Ukrainian delegation’s participation in the international event, Ms Maidanyk emphasised that our country is actively working towards full EU membership and promoting national heritage.

 

“The adaptation of national legislation to EU requirements, in particular in the field of geographical indications, is a prerequisite for integration and participation in the EU single market. At the same time, Ukraine is actively working to ensure that unique GIs originating from our territory, such as ‘Melitopol Cherry’, ‘Kherson Watermelon’ and others, receive legal protection in the EU. Recognition of Ukrainian geographical indications in the EU will not only facilitate exports and increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian producers but will also prevent attempts to appropriate these objects by the russian federation”, told Ms Maidanyk.

 

Liubov Maidanyk

 

UANIPIO Deputy Director is convinced that active participation in international discussions will help Ukraine become a full-fledged participant in European processes. “This will not only facilitate the integration of accession to the EU but will also help the country strategically prepare for the European future,“ she said.

 

In addition, the national geographical indication ‘Krolevets Towels’ was presented at the event as part of the geographical indication exhibition.

 

 

Enhancing institutional cooperation

 

To deepen institutional cooperation between EUIPO and the Ukrainian IP Office, Ms Maidanyk took part in a business meeting with:

 

• Mr Harry Temminck, Head, IP in the Digital World, EUIPO;

 

• colleagues from the European Observatory on Intellectual Property Rights Infringement;

 

• colleagues from the EU4IP project on strengthening intellectual property rights in Ukraine and Moldova, a four-year project funded by the European Union – in particular, representatives of the Intellectual Property Agency of Moldova (AGEPI).

 

During the meeting, the participants discussed the latest developments in the field of copyright. They also talked about aligning the plans of EUIPO and UANIPIO in accordance with the new EUIPO Strategic Plan 2030 and UANIPIO’s Strategic Development Plan 2024–2028, focusing on:

 

• an inclusive IP landscape in Europe;

 

• the impact of artificial intelligence on the paradigm shift in copyright;

 

• EU infrastructure in the field of copyright;

 

• management of orphan and out-of-commerce copyright databases;

 

• establishment of the EUIPO Copyright Knowledge Centre;

 

• Copyright View, the EU’s digital deposit system;

 

• copyright infringing content on the Internet and measures to combat it.

 

 

Read also:

 

Strengthening IP rights in Ukraine: UANIPIO representatives and European colleagues discussed the progress in the implementation of the EU4IP project

 

EU-UA: bilateral screening meeting on the alignment of the Ukrainian IP legislation with the EU acquis – focus on industrial property and enforcement