CHAPTER IIPROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS

SECTION 3 Amendments to product specifications

Article 18Temporary amendments

1.

Temporary amendments shall be approved and made public by Member States to which the geographical area of the designation of origin or geographical indication relates. They shall be communicated to the Commission together with the reasons supporting the temporary amendments not later than one month following the date on which the national decision of approval was made public. A temporary amendment is applicable in the Member State once it has been made public.

2.

Where the geographical area covers more than one Member State, the procedure for temporary amendment applies separately in the Member States concerned for the part of the area which falls within their territory. Temporary amendments shall be applicable only when the last national decision of approval becomes applicable. The Member State last approving the temporary amendment shall communicate it to the Commission not later than one month following the date upon which its decision of approval is made public. This rule applies, mutatis mutandis, also when one or more of the countries concerned is a third country.

3.

Temporary amendments concerning grapevine products originating in third countries shall be communicated to the Commission, together with the reasons supporting the temporary amendments, by a single producer within the meaning of Article 3 or a group of producers having a legitimate interest, either directly or via the authorities of that third country, not later than one month following their approval.

4.

The communication of temporary amendments shall be considered to be duly completed when it contains all the elements referred to in Article 11 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34.

5.

The Commission shall make public such amendments within three months from the date on which the communication is received from the Member State, third country or third country single producer or group of producers. A temporary amendment is applicable in the territory of the Union once it has been made public by the Commission.