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Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin at EU level
At European Union level, it is possible to protect:
Agricultural products, foodstuffs and wine and aromatised wine products can be protected both as designations of origin and as geographical indications, spirits only as geographical indications.
Agricultural products and foodstuffs, wine and aromatised wine products and spirit drinks cannot be protected as designations of origin or geographical indications at national level, they can only be granted transitional protection at national level with effect from the date of application to the Commission. This transitional protection shall expire on the date of the decision on the entry in the register kept by the European Commission or on the date of refusal of the application for protection of these products.
An application for registration of a designation of origin or geographical indication shall be subject to a national objection procedure. For each product, the Office shall provide electronic access to the product specification.
Once the application for registration of a designation of origin or geographical indication has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest, established or resident in a Member State other than that which applied for registration, may object to the proposed registration of the designation. The objection must be duly substantiated and lodged within the time limit laid down in the relevant Regulation (agricultural products, foodstuffs and spirit drinks within three months, wine within two months).
The applicant for each product may apply to the Office for an amendment to the product specification relating to the protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication, in particular to take account of developments in scientific and technical knowledge or to redefine the geographical area.
Products protected as a designation of origin or geographical indication shall be subject, among other checks, to checks to verify compliance with the product specification, which shall be carried out by bodies authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic.
At present, this body is:
State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic
accredited according to EN 45 011Botanická No 17, 842 13 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Tel.: +421/2/602 57 211
Fax: +421/2/654 20 745
e-mail: buchlerova@svps.sk and sekretariat-ur@svps.sk