Two new applications for the registration of some geographical indications (GI) have been filed with the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). It is the GI for Calarasi rose petal jam and the GI for Nimoreni apricot spirits.

The specifications of these two products were approved in December by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. Thus, the groups of producers have initiated the procedure for registering the names with the AGEPI.

Geographical indications and appellations of origin are intellectual property objects. They play an important social and economic role and are valuable marketing tools widely used by many countries.

The purpose of protecting appellations of origin and geographical indications is to ensure a fair return to producers for their products with specific qualities and characteristics which are essentially due to the geographical origin. Also, products benefiting from a protected geographical indication or appellation of origin have an important economic role, as they provide information on the specific characteristics relating to the geographical origin, thus contributing to the promotion of the region they come from.

At the moment, in the Republic of Moldova there are two registered appellations of origin, Ciumai şi Romaneşti, and four registered geographical indications, Divin, Codru, Ştefan Vodă and Valul lui Traian.