The working visit of Dr. John BARKER, New Zealand expert, aimed at elaborating the “Viticulture and Winemaking Sector Development Strategy for 2020-2030” took place today, 24 May 2019, at the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI).

The purpose of the visit was to familiarize the international expert with the legal framework existing in the Republic of Moldova on the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and appellations of origin (AO) in the viticulture and winemaking sector as well as of plant varieties, especially vine varieties.

During the discussions, particular attention was paid to the registration and protection stages of geographical indications and appellations of origin in the viticulture and winemaking sector in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the issues related to the enforcement of the intellectual property rights in the field of GIs and AO.

We should mention that the best practices of other countries with similar climatic and economic conditions, such as Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, will be taken into account in the elaboration of the “Viticulture and Winemaking Sector Development Strategy for 2020-2030”.