Geographical Indications National Implementation Government Agency

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Geographical Indications National Implementation
Government Agency

Véronique FOUKS, legal and international
department of the INAO France
Saint-Louis 17-18 May 2005
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A specific French experience

• Creation of AOC and INAO
• The INAO, a governmental agency
• The active participation of representatives of
  the agricultural sector

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Place of the I.N.A.O.Institut national des
appellations dorigine
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Economy

• Patents, trademarks

• Geographical indications

INPI
INAO
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What are the tasks of the INAO?

• Defining the geographical area of production
• Defining the product specifications
• Determining a system of approval of the products
• Contributing to the protection of GIS

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Executive departments of the INAO

• a governmental agency
• Headoffice in Paris
• 26 regional offices
• 250 employees
• Budget 19 M
• (75 State, 25 professionals)

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The active participation of representatives of
the agricultural sector

• National committee for wine and spirits (PDO)
• 83 members

• National committee for dairy products (PDO)
• 47 members

• National committee for foodstuffs (PDO)
• 35 members

• National committee for protected geographical
  indications (PGI)
• 40 members

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Procedure of recognition of an AOC or PDO

• Collective application
• ? 
• I.N.A.O. Services
• ?
• National Committee
• Nomination of an Enquiry Commission
• Composed of members of the National Committee,
  professionals
• ?
• Report on the application
• Definition of the production conditions
• ?
• Procedure of definition of the geographical area
• ?
•  Wording of the decree of recognization
• ?
• Transmission of the decree to the Ministries for
  signature
• Publication in the  Journal Officiel 

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Organisation of controls

• Producers
• INAO
• Approved bodies/ certified bodies

• autocontrols
• External controls
• Control activities delegated by the I.N.A.O.

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Why a geographical indication ?

• To encourage diverse agricultural productions
• To protect product names from misuse and
  imitation
• To help consumers by giving them information
  concerning the specific character of the products
  

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Creation of value
Link with a terroir ( territory traditional
know how) Strong identity Natural or voluntary
limit of production
Difficult to substitute
Adjustment by prices Added-value
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The interest of Gis for the State rural
development

• to encourage diverse agricultural production
• to maintain people in agricultural areas
• employment and vitality of rural areas

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A specific example

• A wine from the Rhône Valley Saint Joseph
• A tradionnal terrace cultivation

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During the 60s

• A vineyard moving to less sloping sectors
• Terraces running wild

• Increase of yield and decreasing of quality
• Internal Competition between 2 products
• Vine growing on hillside with high costs of
  production
• Mechanized vine growing with lowest costs

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In the 80s

• Producers realized that the products specificity
  was in danger
• A solution change the boundaries of production

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Some general figures by sector

• Wines and spirits  AOC 
• 470 AOC - 80 000 producers 15.2 B/ year

• Dairy products  AOC 
• 47 AOC - 30 000 producers - 2 B/ year

• Other  AOC  products
• 30 AOC 10 000 producers 0.15 B/ year

•  IGP  products
• 74 IGP - 25 000 producers
• 1 B/ year

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Global figures

• 600 products
• 142 000 producers (20 of agricultural)
• 19 billions Euros / year

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Association of Gis trademarks The French
experience
Appellation dorigine (GI) CHAMPAGNE
Trademark Company TAITTINGER
Different by law and nature Complementaries on
the market
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• Thank You
• v.fouks_at_inao.gouv.fr
• www.inao.gouv.fr