EUROPEAN MISCELLANY

Around the European Union

* The European Commission has published a lengthy document of 110 pages, listing the 'Inspection structures notified by the Member States in accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs' (2005/C 317/01). The purpose of this publication is to provide information on the inspection bodies notified by the Member States for each geographical indication or designation of origin registered under Regulation 2081/92.
This list replaces previous lists, the most recent of which was published back in 2002.


* Commission Regulation 2039/2005 of 14 December 2005 amends Regulation 1238/95 establishing implementing rules for the application of Council Regulation 2100/94 as regards the fees payable to the Community Plant Variety Office. Essentially, as of 1 January 2006

Article 9(1) of Regulation 1238/95 is replaced by the following:

‘1. The office shall charge a holder of a Community plant variety right (hereinafter referred to as the holder) a fee for each year of the duration of a Community plant variety right (hereinafter referred to as annual fee) of EUR 300 for the years 2003 to 2005 and of EUR 200 for the year 2006 and the following years. Where a person paid a fee of EUR 300 for the year 2006, the office shall refund the difference of
EUR 100 to that person.’

* The Community Plant Variety Office in Angers, France, is looking for Board of Appeal members - this might be your BIG chance to kick-start a new career in intellectual property. Applications must be submitted by 16 January 2006.

* An application has been made to register the unappetising-sounding GATA-HURDES (nothing to to with GATOR BURGERS) as a protected designation of origin for Spanish extra virgin olive oil. According to the application, "a feature of olive tree cultivation in the protected area is that it is based on slowly evolving techniques". Oh, right.

* According to the European Court of Justice diary, the court is now closed for Christmas and reopens on Tuesday 10 January 2006. On Thursday 12 January the ECJ gives its judgment in Case C-173/04 P Deutsche SiSi-Werke v OHIM, on an appeal against the Court of First Instance ruling that Deutsche SiSi was not entitled to register the sachet packaging of its drinks as Community trade marks.

* The IPKat has received an email from a friend who works in the European Court of Justice and who writes: "It is not a general rule, but if you see a decision posted on the homepage only in two languages on the day of its announcement (French would be always one of them), it is probable that the given decision will not be translated in other languages". Merpel says, this is just not good enough. Let's make 2006 the year for lobbying for more translations and greater accessibility of European law for the benefit of all who need it.