Προϊόντα Προστατευόμενης Ονομασίας Προέλευσης και Προϊόντα Προστατευόμενης Γεωγραφικής Ένδειξης: Νομικό καθεστώς σε επίπεδο ΕΕ και ελληνικού δικαίου, συνέπειες παραβάσεων και σημασία για την Ελλάδα.

Abstract

The subject of this dissertation concerns the EU quality systems for the protection of the name of European products with geographical origin and mainly the possibilities offered by its utilization for the promotion of Greek PDO-PGI products. The current EU legal quality regime allows the use of a "geographical indication" (GI) to protect against the misuse or counterfeiting of a registered product name with a specific link to the place where it is produced. The purpose of this work is to highlight the importance of the PDO-PGI product regime for Greece, which is a country with a remarkable agri-food sector and tradition in the production of quality products with special characteristics and reputation that are attributed mainly to their specific geographical origin. In this light, the legal framework for PDO-PGI products at EU and national level is presented (Chapter A), as well as the Danish, German and French infringement cases concerning the name "feta" and the relevant judicial cases from the beginning of the process towards the registration of the product "PDO feta" until the referral of Denmark to the Court of Justice of the EU in November 2019. In addition, cases of violations at national level are referred, as well as the degree of registration of EU GIs in third countries. The above study shows that the EU has established a very strict PDO-PGI framework both in terms of legislation and judicial protection, which is proving to be extremely favorable for Member States investing in the agri-food sector. The strategic utilization of this framework by Greece will bring significant benefits to the Greek export trade and to the Greek economy, stimulating all the involved sectors. However, according to recent EU data, although Greece has secured a significant number of PDO-PGI products, it does not perform well in terms of sales value. After a brief analysis of the main problems concerning Greek PDO-PGI products, the prospects for our country are presented, as well as a series of proposals for the optimal utilization of the EU GIs status and the opportunities it offers to Greek producers (Chapter C).