In a recent judgment of the General Court in Case T-34/22, it ruled that the European Commission is not bound by prior assessments made by national competent authorities in EU Member States when it comes to determining protected designations of origin (PDOs) under Regulation 1152/2012.
This judgment will have implications for national authorities like Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research), Livsmedelsverket (Swedish Food Agency), Finnish Food Authority | Ruokavirasto | Livsmedelsverket, Matvælastofnun (Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority), and Mattilsynet/Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
There are numerous Nordic names for food/drinks that are protected under GIs, including agricultural products and foodstuffs, wine, and spirit drinks. For a highly select example:
- Danish blue cheese – PGI-DK-0328 (1996).
- Finnish Rönttönen – PGI-FI-0099 (1999).
- Swedish Vodka – PGI-SE-01926 (1994).
You can access the GIs database of protected names through at the following link: https://lnkd.in/dvBABQK
You can access the judgment of the General Court in Case T-34/22 at the following link: https://lnkd.in/eXXG4-GD
Graham Butler