Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs

Both Parties, the European Union and the Republic of Moldova, aim at the mutual protection of geographical indications (GIs) in order to improve the conditions of bilateral trade as well as to promote the quality in the food chain and stimulate the value for sustainable rural development.

The negotiations proceeded smoothly. For the EU, these negotiations had two objectives: on one hand expansion of the protection and use of the geographical indications system (the Republic of Moldova will protect the full list of EU GIs), on the other hand intervention at the source of potential misuses of EU GIs. Reciprocally, the Republic of Moldova has an interest to develop and protect their current geographical indications in the EU territory and strengthen its relation with the EU.

The present proposal is the result of bilateral negotiations concluded on the 18th of April 2011. The agreement provides for a mutual protection of geographical indications (PDOs and PGIs) protected in the respective Parties.

• Primary Source

European Commission: COM(2012)138: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0138:FIN:EN:PDF

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)137: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:137:FIN

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