EU/Iceland agreement: protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs

PURPOSE: to approve the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/1912 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

CONTENT: with this Council Decision, the Agreement between the European Union and Iceland on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The Agreement was signed by the Commission on 23 March 2017, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

This Agreement applies to the recognition and protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs other than wines, aromatised wine products and spirit drinks originating in the Parties' territories.

Under the negotiated geographical agreement, 1 150 EU foodstuff GIs will be protected in Iceland as in the rest of the EU.

Under the Agreement, although Iceland has not yet registered any protected geographical indications, geographical indications of Union agricultural products and foodstuffs will be protected in Iceland. The Agreement provides for a mechanism for updating the geographical indications list and for including new geographical indications at a later stage through a Joint Committee process.

Certain tasks for the implementation of the Agreement have been assigned to the Joint Committee set up by the Agreement, including the power to amend certain technical aspects of the Agreement and certain Annexes thereto.

Amendments to the Agreement through decisions of the Joint Committee shall be approved by the Commission on behalf of the Union. If interested parties cannot reach agreement following objections to a geographical indication, the Commission shall adopt a position in accordance with the procedure laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9.10.2017.