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1. A producer group shall be an association of producers of the same product or products, irrespective of its legal form. It shall meet the following criteria:

(a) it performs tasks under this Regulation, including at least one task specified in paragraph 4;

(b) it is set up voluntarily on the initiative of, and composed of, producers; and (c) it is organised democratically, controlled and scrutinised by its members. Applicant producer groups shall meet those criteria no later than on the date of registration of the geographical indication concerned. A producer of a product designated by a geographical indication shall have the right to join a producer group. Member States may restrict membership to certain categories of producers, taking into account the nature of the product covered by the producer group concerned.

2. Member States may decide that operators and representatives of economic activities linked to one of the stages of the supply chain of products designated by a geographical indication and stakeholders referred to in Article 157 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 may be members of a producer group, if they have a specific interest in the products covered by the producer group. Those members shall not control the producer group.

3. Member States may provide for additional rules, in particular as regards the organisation, statutes, functioning and the nature of membership of, and financial contributions to, producer groups.

4. A producer group may exercise in particular the following tasks:

(a) develop the product specification, apply for registration, amendment and cancellation, and develop activities, including supporting its members with their own control systems to verify and ensure compliance with the product specification concerned;

(b) engage in appropriate action to ensure protection of the geographical indication and of the intellectual property rights that are directly connected with it, including legal actions and filing applications for actions with customs authorities in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 608/2013 and preventing or countering any measures or marketing practices which are, or risk being, detrimental to the reputation or value of the geographical indication concerned;

(c) represent its members in intellectual property enforcement networks and in relation to anti-counterfeiting bodies established at Union or national level;

(d) agree sustainable practices as referred to in Article 7, whether included in the product specification or as a separate initiative, including arrangements for verification of compliance with those practices and assuring adequate publicity for them particularly in an information system provided by the Commission;

(e) take action to improve the performance of the geographical indication, in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability, including:

(i) development, organisation and conduct of collective marketing and advertising campaigns;

(ii) dissemination of information and promotion activities aiming at communicating the attributes of the product designated by a geographical indication to consumers, including the development of tourism services in the relevant geographical area;

(iii) carrying out analyses into the economic, social or environmental performance, of production, nutritional profile, and organoleptic profile, of the product designated by the geographical indication;

(iv) dissemination of information on the geographical indication, the relevant Union symbol and the abbreviation (PDO or PGI); and (v) providing advice, training and dissemination of best practice guidelines to current and future producers, including on sustainable practices, in particular those provided for in Article 7, scientific-technical progress, digitalisation, gender mainstreaming and equality and raising awareness among consumers;

(f) combat infringements and suspected fraudulent uses on the markets of products designated by geographical indications that are not in compliance with the product specification, by monitoring and verifying the use of the geographical indication across the internal market and on third country markets where the geographical indications are protected, including on online interfaces, and, as necessary, inform enforcement authorities using confidential systems where available;

(g) take measures to enhance the value of products and, where necessary, take steps to prevent or counter any measures or commercial practices which are, or risk being, detrimental to the image and value of their products, including devaluating marketing practices and lowering prices.

5. Member States may, within their territory, assist producers in the creation and functioning of producer groups.

6. If no producer group exists for a product designated by a geographical indication, Member States may exercise the tasks referred to in paragraph 4, points (b), (e) and (f). Member States shall interact with producers and shall assist them with a view to establishing a producer group.

7. Member States may set up a public register of producer groups for products designated by geographical indications originating in their territory, including authorities referred to in Article 9(2) and producers referred to in Article 9(3). That register shall contain, at least, the name, the legal form and the address of each producer group and all geographical indications covered by the producer group concerned.