Component 3 for intellectual property rights, implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), played a prominent role in the sixth edition of the Brazilian Originsthe most relevant event in Brazil on Geographical Indications (GIs). The meeting was organised by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE), with the collaboration of the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
The event took place from 27-29 November 2024 in São Paulo, bringing together experts from the areas of GI, tourism and small businesses, with a focus on rural development and sustainability. The main objectives included knowledge exchange, strengthening public policies and technical management to boost local value chains through intellectual property rights, underlining their capacity to generate economic development at the regional level.
As part of the AL-INVEST Verde project, EUIPO mobilised its network of specialists to highlight the positive impact of GIs on local economies. On 28 November, Federico Moncunill, representative of the Regulatory Council of the protected GI Jijona y Turrón de Alicante (Spain), presented on the relationship between sustainability and territorial development through GIs.
Experts from the Tequila Regulatory Council also presented approaches to traceability and quality in GIs, showing how the link to origin can be a competitive advantage in the marketplace. A workshop in collaboration with the French Industrial Property Office explored the connection between craftsmanship and origin, highlighting the protection of knowledge in the framework of the "Team Europe" spirit.
On 29 November, progress of the AL-INVmentor GI mentoring programme in three MERCOSUR countries, focused on supporting local producers, was shared. During a plenary session, representatives from Argentina and France presented successful cases of GI that combine the generation of economic value with the preservation of traditions. Subsequently, round tables addressed technical issues, such as the legal protection of GIs in composite products and strategies for their strengthening towards 2025.
EUIPO's participation in this event reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of GIs as key tools for sustainable local development, aligned with the European Green Pact. Furthermore, its expertise in GI management has been recognised, as it was recently assigned the administration of the register of artisanal and industrial GIs in the EU, the implementation of which will start on 1 December 2025.