Proposal for the protection of Geographical indication in Lebanon
Swiss-Lebanese Project on Geographical Indication
The GI project
The GI project aims at defining an adequate system for the protection of Geographical Indication in Lebanon.
The project objective is to elaborate the necessary legislative framework needed to ensure an effective protection for the GIs in Lebanon, identify the products originating from a territory or a region, support technically the group of producers in drafting the legal documents for the registration of GIs at the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MOET) and provide the necessary information to and work with the supply chain actors on agricultural, organizational and economical aspects of geographical Indications.
Background
Within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement with the EFTA states and Lebanon, Lebanon and Switzerland have agreed on a bilateral technical assistance program to be implemented over a period of 3 years. The GI project at the MOET constituted a part of this program for which the Swiss government has offered the financial and technical support.
Since January 2008, the MOET has taken the GI project in charge and it will continue to carry out GIs related tasks through the team of the project constituted of a legal expert (Dina Fahs) and an agronomist expert (Thana Abu Ghyda).
The GI project will continue to perform its duties until the GI’s law is promulgated and the GI’s department registration is constituted at the Intellectual Property Protection Office at the MOET.
GI products
GI products are those agricultural, agro-food and artisan products that have been developed by indigenous people and local farmers that have developed their own expertise over the years. These products might be influenced by diverse climatic conditions and natural resources conferring to them the typical taste, the specific characteristics, the reputation, the quality that make them distinct from others and that are attributable essentially to their geographical origin as (Apricot Baalback- Peach Bekfayya- Olive oil Koura- Labneh Chtaura- Water Melon Adloun- Blown glass Sarafand…..)
Importance of GI
GIs play an increasingly important role in a globalized world economy where food markets are more and more internationalized. They offer to producers a useful marketing tool as their products obtain market recognition and often higher prices.
The protection of Geographical indications enables the Lebanese products differentiation in the markets and protects the rights and interests of indigenous Lebanese communities.
Who can benefit from the protection of GI?
- Only a group of producers can ask for the protection of their products as GI.
- Only the products which fall into the scope of the GI law can benefit from the protection (agricultural, artisan and agro-food products, including wine and spirits).
- Only products which have good reputation as related to a certain territory or region can benefit from the protection of GI .