An overview of legal and institutional frameworks and opportunities, challenges and recommendations for geographical indication products in An overview of legal and institutional frameworks and opportunities, challenges and recommendations for geographical indication products in Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation Synthesis Report Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Budapest, 2018 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 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The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party-owned component in the work rests solely with the user. Sales, rights and licensing. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. Requests for commercial use should be submitted via: www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request. Queries regarding rights and licensing should be submitted to: [email protected]. Photo credit: ©FAO ii Contents Background ............................................................................................................ 1 1. Existing GI system and its potential .......................................................... 3 1.1. Armenia ........................................................................................................ 5 1.2. Georgia ......................................................................................................... 8 1.3. Kyrgyzstan ................................................................................................. 12 1.4. The Republic of Moldova ........................................................................... 14 1.5. The Russian Federation ............................................................................ 18 2. Gap analyses .................................................................................................. 23 2.1. Policies, legal and institutional framework .............................................. 23 2.2. Stakeholder awareness, capacities to use GIs, product marketing ......... 26 3. Suggestions and recommendations .......................................................... 28 3.1. Policies, legal and institutional framework .............................................. 28 3.2. Certification and market control enforcement ......................................... 30 3.3. Stakeholder awareness, capacities to use GIs .......................................... 30 3.4. Marketing of the products ......................................................................... 31 3.5. Cooperation and the sharing of knowledge at the regional level ............ 32 iii Acknowledgements This synthesis report was prepared by Jakub Jasiński, PhD (Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland). It is based on individual country studies on the state of geographical indications in Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation conducted within FAO project TCP/RER/3501. The following experts prepared country reports: • Marine Fidanyan (Armenia); • David Gabunia (Georgia); • Chynara Serkebaeva (Kyrgyzstan); • Liliana Vieru (the Republic of Moldova); and • Dmitry Bulatov (the Russian Federation). The final version of this paper – taking into account the development of the geographical indications scheme in Albania – was prepared following the technical consultation organized by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia on “Geographical Indications Schemes in REU region” (Budapest, 11–13 December 2017). Emilie Vandecandelaere, an FAO Economist, and Dmitry Zvyagintsev, an FAO Policy Officer within the framework of the Regional Initiative on Improving Agrifood Trade and Market Integration, coordinated the preparation of the country studies and synthesis reports, reviewed them, and provided valuable technical insight during project implementation. iv Abstract Geographical indication (GI) schemes can play a special role in promoting sustainable rural development, improving farm income and opening new export potential. Natural factors such as soil, climate and plant varieties play a major role in producing a unique product. Usually, GIs comprise knowledge and skills passed on from generation to generation, helping to protect local heritage. This report is a synthesis of the five national reviews of the legal and institutional frameworks in Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, and the Russian Federation. It has been developed on the expert level to raise awareness and to serve as guidance for further activities to be considered and developed at a technical level. v vi Background The countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia have many specific regional and traditional products with strong territorial identities. These products often have reputations and/or special qualities that are linked to designated areas. Consumers appreciate these products, and this creates demand for them. In the context of globalization, producers are eager to convey the specificity of their products (e.g. by registering their products in quality schemes, by clearly showing the “roots” of their products, or by protecting their geographical names against misleading information or counterfeits). Consumers are often sensitive to the fact that quality can be linked to the origin of the products they buy, and to be sure of that quality they need products to have clear indications of their origins. At the same time, the promotion of these products often has important impacts on society and culture, especially in rural areas, and can influence economic development, especially in the territories where the products are produced. Geographical indication (GI) schemes can play a special role in promoting sustainable rural development, improving farm income and opening new export potential. Natural factors such as soil, climate and plant varieties play a major role in producing a unique product. Usually, GIs comprise knowledge and skills passed on from generation to generation, helping to protect local heritage. At the Twenty-ninth Session of the FAO European Regional Conference in Bucharest in April 2014, a number of ad-hoc requests asked for technical support regarding local traditional products and building on countries’ experiences with geographical indications. In response to these requests, FAO launched a regional project “Support to Sustainable Geographical Indications development in Europe and Central Asia region”. The project’s aim was to increase the capacities of the ministries in charge of agriculture and intellectual property, helping to ensure support of more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems in the Europe and Central Asia region through the development of sustainable GIs in an integrated regional approach. The project built on (i) a review of existing legal and institutional frameworks on GI products in a number of countries (Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation); (ii) a study on how GI policies have been implemented in European Union countries (Croatia, Hungary and Poland); and (iii) a regional workshop to share experiences and discuss perspectives in the region. The work is in line with FAO Strategic 1 Objective 4 to “enable more inclusive and efficient