ZAŠTITA TRADICIJSKIH PROIZVODA PRIMJENOM ZEMLJOPISNIH OZNAKA U EUROPSKOJ UNIJI NAKON STUPANJA NA SNAGU ŽENEVSKOG AKTA NA LISABONSKI SPORAZUM

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the possibilities of protection of geographical indications marking traditional products in the European Union, especially after the entry into force of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications. The current possibilities of protection at the international level serve as a starting point. The most significant changes brought about by the Geneva Act have been indicated in the paper and the consequences of the European Union accession to this international agreement have been analysed in detail. The research shows the advantages in terms of protection of geographical indications after the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act only related to traditional agricultural and food products, whereas, for example, traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and other non-agricultural products do not benefit therefrom. Moreover, the results of the research show that while the European Union has managed to expand the policy of protection of geographical indications at a global level through the adoption of the Geneva Act, its position has been weakened by the fact that there is no sui generis system of protection of designations of origin and geographical indications for non-agricultural products in the European Union. The paper also analyses the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of the traditional products protection through the geographical indications protection marking them, and it emphasizes the importance of geographical indications protection for indigenous non-agricultural products (souvenirs) for tourist destinations such as the Republic of Croatia. The conclusion of the research supports the need for establishing a system of geographical indications protection for non-agricultural products at the European Union level in order to enable the protection of geographical indications for all traditional products in the European Union through the established system of international registration.