Procedure launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine concerning applications for the registration of “Irish Grass Fed Beef” as a name with Protected Geographical Indication status and “Achill Island Sea Salt” as a name with Protected Designation of Origin status

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has today launched national opposition procedures in relation to:

an application to register “Irish Grass Fed Beef” as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
an application to register “Achill Island Sea Salt” as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

“Irish Grass Fed Beef” is the name given to quality Irish beef raised on a grass based diet on pasture grazing farms in Ireland.

“Achill Island Sea Salt” is a hand harvested sea salt from the waters around Achill Island, Co Mayo, Ireland.

A national opposition procedure must be undertaken before the applications can be submitted to the European Commission. The opposition procedure provides the opportunity for any natural or legal person, having a legitimate interest and established or resident in Ireland, to lodge an opposition to the applications. On successful completion of the national opposition procedure, applications are submitted to the EU Commission for examination.

The full product descriptions for both products are set out at: www.agriculture.gov.ie/gi.

Interested parties have a period of four weeks ending at 5.45pm on Friday 11 September 2020 to submit a reasoned statement of opposition in accordance with the regulatory requirements. Submissions should be by email to GeographicalIndications@agriculture.gov.ie or in writing to Food Industry Development Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Kildare St. Dublin, 2, D02WK12.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

Geographical Indications are a type of intellectual property right, protecting food product names which are linked to a particular territory or to a production method. The EU’s Geographical Indications scheme is beneficial to producers as it allows for the identification and protection of names of specific agricultural products which have particular value adding characteristics linked to their place of origin. GI recognition enables consumers to trust and distinguish quality products while also helping producers to market their products.

Applications for registration must show how the characteristics of the region – topographic, reputation, natural resources – have an impact on the characteristics of the product. Registration affords producers protection against imitation and use of the name on goods produced outside the designated area.

“Protected Geographical indication” (PGI) is a name which identifies a product: (a) originating in a specific place, region or country; (b) whose given quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its defined area of origin; and (c) at least one of the production steps of which take place in the defined geographical area.

“Protected Designation of origin’ (PDO) is a name which identifies a product: (a) originating in a specific place, region or, in exceptional cases, a country; (b) whose quality or characteristics are essentially or exclusively due to a particular geographical environment with its inherent natural and human factors; and (c) the production steps of which all take place in the defined geographical area.

Ireland has eight registered PDO/PGI food product names -Clare Island Salmon (PGI), Imokilly Regato (PDO), Timoleague Brown Pudding (PGI), Connemara Hill Lamb (PGI), Waterford Blaa (PGI), Oriel Sea Salt (PDO), Oriel Sea Minerals (PDO) and Sneem Black Pudding (PGI).

Three spirit drink names – Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream and Irish Poitín – enjoy GI status under Regulation (EU) No. 110/2008.