20 April 2023, Brussels – EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines (www.efow.eu), the Brussels-based organisation promoting and defending Geographical Indication (GI) wines, welcomes today’s vote in the AGRI committee on the revision of the EU GI systems. EFOW invites the EP Plenary in May to support this strong mandate which reinforces the GI schemes and maintains the specificities of European GI wines. EFOW also invites the Council to support such vision.
EFOW and its members support the AGRI committee vote on the GI review file. We believe this outcome safeguards and reinforces the EU’s GI system as it does not externalise the management of GI specifications to the EUIPO, increases the protection afforded to GIs with regard to their use as ingredients and online while maintaining the specificities of the wine sector. We hope the EP Plenary will give a strong mandate to the rapporteurs in view of the trilogue negotiations and that the Council will follow suit, in particular with regards to the role of the EUIPO and the so-called wine package.
EFOW’s President, Mr. Bernard Farges, explained: “on behalf of EFOW’s members, I would like to thank the rapporteurs for their strong commitment in supporting GI producers and in particular GI wine producers. The report is a clear and robust answer to the main concerns we have been voicing this past year. We hope this positive vision for the future of our sector will be shared by the Council“.