Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2046 of 23 November 2021 granting protection in the Union to the Geographical Indication 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper' registered in the International Register of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of the Geneva Act

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1753 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the action of the Union following its accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications ¹, and in particular Article 7(1) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) In accordance with Article 5(1) and (2) of the Geneva Act, the Competent Authorities of each Contracting Party to the Geneva Act may file applications for international registration of an appellation of origin or geographical indication with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization, which registers it in the International Register in accordance with Article 6 of the Geneva Act. In accordance with Article 9 of the Geneva Act, the other Contracting Parties shall protect registered appellations of origin and geographical indications within their own legal system subject to any refusal, renunciation, invalidation or cancellation.

• (2) In accordance with Article 6(4) of the Geneva Act, on 14 December 2020, the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization notified the Commission that the name 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper', applied by Cambodia, had been recorded as Geographical Indication in the International Register of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications under the Geneva Act.

• (3) Pursuant to Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1753, the international registration of the Geographical Indication 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper' was published in the Official Journal of the European Union ² to enable possible opposition to be lodged.

• (4) Pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1753, the Commission assessed the international registration of the Geographical Indication 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper' against the conditions laid down in that Article and concluded that they are fulfilled.

• (5) As no opposition under Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1753 has been received by the Commission, the name 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper' should be protected in the Union, in accordance with the Geneva Act.

• (6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Agricultural Product Quality Policy Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The name 'ម្រេចកំពត'/'Kampot Pepper', registered as Geographical Indication in the International Register, shall be protected in the Union.

The name referred to in the first paragraph identifies a product of the type ‘pepper’.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 November 2021.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN