Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications: accession of the European Union

PURPOSE: to amend Decision (EU) 2019/1754 on the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration of 31 October 1958 is a treaty administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). By virtue of Council Decision (EU) 2019/1754,  the Union acceded to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications with effect from 26 February 2020. The Geneva Act itself entered into force on 26 February 2020.

Under Decision (EU) 2019/1754, the Commission is to be the Competent Authority referred to in the Geneva Act, responsible for the administration of the Geneva Act in the territory of the Union and for communications with the International Bureau of the WIPO under the Geneva Act and the Common Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act.

CONTENT: the draft Council Decision aims at amending Council Decision (EU) 2019/1754 in order to designate the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) as the Competent Authority referred to in the Geneva Act as regards geographical indications for craft and industrial products, and be responsible for the administration of the Geneva Act in the territory of the Union and for notifications and communications with the International Bureau of the WIPO under the Geneva Act and the Common Regulations.