European Union member states and MEPs announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to create a new mechanism to protect locally famous artisan products and combat counterfeiting.
Proposed by the European Commission last April, the new scheme will replace the national programs of sixteen countries and should cover up to 800 products from jewellery, textiles, lace, natural stones, cutlery, glass and porcelain.
The agreement, concluded on Tuesday night, will also protect the domain names of industrial and craft products traded online. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will be in charge of carrying out the registration process.
“Attracting tourists and creating employment”
The EU already uses geographical indicators to protect certain food products (wine and gastronomy from certain regions), a key element of its agricultural and trade policy that has drawn criticism from its trading partners in the past.
“This new mechanism will not only help to publicize traditional products from less developed regions, it will attract tourists and create jobs,” European People’s Party (EPP) MP Marion Walsmann said in a statement. “It will also ensure fair competition for producers, helping them fight counterfeit products and ensuring that consumers buy a genuine product with specific qualities,” she added.
Source: BFM TV
