A roundtable on the role of geographical indications (GIs) in sustainable development was organised on 7 February 2023 by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM). The topic ‘what lessons can be learned to improve the contribution of projects to sustainable development?’ was addressed.
Following the success of the joint EUIPO and European Commission (DG AGRI) Conference “Trade Marks and Geographical Indications: future perspectives” held in Alicante in October 2018, EUIPO and the Commission joined forces again. On 25-26 November, the ‘Strengthening Geographical Indications (GIs) – online Conference 2020’ took place.
The European Commission and EUIPO, launched GIView on the 25th November 2020, during the online conference “Strengthening Geographical Indications”. GIview provides a single entry point for data on GIs registered in the EU, as well as on GIs in non-EU GIs protected at EU level through bilateral and multilateral agreements, and on EU GIs protected in non-EU countries.
Benin has registered its first Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) at the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI). It is the pineapple sugar loaf from the Allada Plateau PGI.
EUIPO, as the implementing agency for the “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Action for Africa” (AfrIPI) project, funded by the European Union, has provided legal support to the filing of Penja Pepper (Cameroon) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) application in Europe.
This activity enhanced the capacity of the productive sector in African countries to compete in external markets through the use of protected GIs to identify the origin of their products.
On 7 and 8 May 2020, EUIPO, in collaboration with OAPI, delivered a 2-day online training session to the students of the OAPI – University of Yaoundé II – 2020 Master's Program on Intellectual Property.
The sessions focused on different topics, being one of them the presentation of a case recently decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union that deals with the level of protection of a GI in the form of a collective mark.
EUIPO, as the implementing agency for the “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Action for Africa” project (AfrIPI), funded by the European Union, is currently developing a Manual on African Geographical Indications (in English and French), containing the following information: