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(1) Over the years, the Union has established quality schemes for products with identifiable specific characteristics which cover geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, including foodstuffs, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, including foodstuffs.

(2) The European Green Deal, introduced by the Commission in its communication of 11 December 2019, included the design of a fair, sustainable, healthier and more environmentally-friendly food system that is accessible to all (‘farm to fork’) among the policies to transform the Union’s economy for a sustainable future.

(3) Geographical indications can play an important role in terms of sustainability, including in the circular economy, thereby enhancing their heritage value and thus strengthening their role within the framework of national and regional policies with a view to meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal.

(4) The Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘A Farm to Fork Strategy — for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’, which called for a transition to sustainable food systems, also called for the strengthening of the legislative framework on geographical indications and for the inclusion of specific sustainability criteria. In that communication, the Commission committed to strengthening, among other players, the position of producers of products with geographical indications, their cooperatives and producer organisations in the food supply chain. Focus should be placed on small-scale producers, particularly those who best preserve traditional skills and know-how.

(5) In its communication of 25 November 2020 entitled ‘Making the most of the EU’s innovative potential — An intellectual property action plan to support the EU’s recovery and resilience’, the Commission undertook to look at ways to strengthen, modernise, streamline and better enforce geographical indications for agricultural products, wine and spirit drinks.

(6) The quality and diversity of the Union’s wine, spirit drinks and agricultural and food production are one of its important strengths, giving a competitive advantage to the Union’s producers and making a major contribution to its living cultural and gastronomic heritage. This is due to the skills and determination of Union producers who have kept traditions and diversity of cultural identities alive as part of the Union’s heritage, while taking into account the development of new production methods and material, which have made traditional Union products a symbol of quality.

(7) Citizens and consumers in the Union increasingly demand quality, traditional and accessible products which have specific qualities and characteristics attributable both to their origin and to their manner of production. They are also concerned about maintaining the diversity and security of supply of agricultural and food production in the Union. This generates a demand for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, including foodstuffs, with identifiable specific characteristics, in particular those linked to their geographical origin. Citizens and consumers are increasingly aware of the production conditions that have shaped the reputation and identity of such products.

(8) Quality products represent one of the biggest assets that the Union has, both for its economy and for its cultural identity. Those products are the strongest representation of the ‘made in the EU’ brand, recognisable throughout the whole world, which generate growth and preserve the Union’s heritage. Wines, spirit drinks and agricultural products, including foodstuffs, are Union assets that need to be further strengthened and protected.

(9) Citizens and consumers expect any geographical indication and quality scheme to be backed up by a robust verification and control system, regardless of whether the product originates in the Union or a third country.

(10) The protection of natural persons in relation to the processing of personal data is a fundamental right. Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council applies to the processing of personal data carried out by Member States in the course of the relevant procedures. The roles of the Commission and of the Member States in relation to the processing of personal data in the procedures they are competent for need to be clearly defined in order to ensure a high level of protection.

(11) As a general principle and with a view to minimising the exposure of personal data, the documents to be submitted in the course of the relevant procedures should not contain personal data. Where this is not possible, information that could contain personal data, such as the contact details of natural persons, should be submitted in separate specific documents.

(12) For the purpose of this Regulation, the first and last names of natural persons and related contact details could appear in the documents processed by the Commission and the Member States in the course of the procedures set out by this Regulation. Personal data could appear, albeit rarely, in the procedures for registration, amendment or cancellation procedures of geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed. This can occur at both Member State and Commission level, where the name of the producer group concerned, or of the opponent, contains the name of a natural person. Personal data could also appear as part of the names of recognised producer groups. Such data are processed in relation to the designation of those groups and to the inclusion of their names in the Union register of geographical indications. Personal data can also appear as part of the names of delegated and product certification bodies and natural persons to which certain official control tasks have been delegated. Such data are processed in the context of the control procedures for geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed, at both Member State and Commission level. On the other hand, personal data are more likely to appear as part of the names of operators granted a transitional period in the registration or amendment process of a geographical indication or of a traditional speciality guaranteed, at both Member State and Commission level. Personal data could also appear as part of the names of the producers included in the list of the operators and in the tool delivering the attestation of compliance with the product specification, processed by Member States in control procedures for geographical indications and for traditional specialities guaranteed. The Commission and the Member States could, therefore, be obliged to process information that contains personal data, in particular the names of natural persons and their related contact details.

(13) Whenever the Commission and the Member States find it necessary to process personal data in accordance with this Regulation, such processing is justified by the public interest. Carrying out procedures properly for registration, amendment or cancellation of geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed and control procedures in the framework of this Regulation and of Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) 2019/787 of the European Parliament and of the Council is necessary for the correct functioning of the system in protecting geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed. Those procedures are public in nature. Information about the entities concerned is necessary to identify their responsibilities in the procedures and to ensure fair competition and a level-playing field between the operators. Furthermore, in some cases, processing the names of producers and producer groups is indispensable for them to pursue their interests or to enjoy their rights. The processing of personal data may happen in relation to the granting of a transitional period, by the Member States or by the Commission, in the course of a procedure of registration or amendment of a geographical indication or traditional speciality guaranteed, to the designation of recognised producer groups and the inclusion of their names in the Union register of geographical indications, to the compilation of the list of the producers of products designated by a geographical indication kept by the Member States and to the setting and functioning of the system that delivers the attestation of compliance with the product specification. In all those cases, the processing of personal data is carried out in the public interest and, in some cases, also in the interest of the data subject.

(14) In general, in accordance with this Regulation, information that may contain personal data is normally processed in the form of digital or paper documents that may be exchanged between the Member States and the Commission or between the Member States and the producers or persons concerned, or archived. Such information is neither disclosed to third parties nor published. However, in the case of opposition procedures, in order to put the applicant and the opponent in contact with each other with a view to starting consultations and reaching an agreement, the Commission sends them each other’s contact details. Where the applicant or the opponent happens to be identified by a name containing the name of a natural person, the name and contact details are personal data that need to be communicated to a third party. In addition, for the correct achievement of the objectives of the opposition procedure, the applicant should be made aware of all of the information sent by the opponent to justify its opposition to the registration or amendment or cancellation. In addition, the names of the applicants for amendment, persons requesting cancellation, producer groups, single producers and beneficiaries of transitional period are published or made public. If personal data happen to be part of those names, that personal data should also be published. In the case of procedures for approval of a Union amendment, the name of the applicant is to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in order to allow the potential opponent to challenge its interest in applying for the Union amendment. In the case of procedures for cancellation, where the cancellation is requested by a natural or legal person established or resident in a third country, the name of the natural or legal person requesting the cancellation is to be published in order to identify the persons who have activated the procedure for cancellation and to allow a potential opponent to challenge their legitimate interest to request cancellation. In the case of procedures for standard amendment, where the standard amendment is communicated by a natural or legal person established or resident in a third country, the name of that person is to be published or made public. When entering the information in the Union register of geographical indications, the name of the recognised producer group should be made public in that register for reasons of transparency and to allow that group to demonstrate its status as the recognised producer group for the geographical indication concerned. In the case of publication by the Member States of the names of the delegated bodies and natural persons to which official control tasks have been delegated in respect of geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed originating in their territory, and in the case of publication of the names of product certification bodies by the Commission in respect of geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed originating in third countries, those names shall be made public in order to allow full transparency of the control procedures. In the case of a Commission Regulation or a national act granting a transitional period to a producer to allow the use of a geographical indication or a traditional speciality guaranteed, the name of that producer should be referred to in that Commission Regulation or national act and made public in order to enable that producer to exercise the rights that it has been granted and to ensure a level-playing field. Within that framework, and for the proper implementation of the procedures provided for in this Regulation and in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2016/679 and (EU) 2018/1725, the Member States and the Commission should be allowed to disclose to third parties or publish such personal data.

(15) Documentation related to the registration of a geographical indication and of a traditional speciality guaranteed, in digital or paper form, should be retained for a period of 10 years after cancellation of the registration, in order to ensure the retention of historical information and to allow comparison with possible subsequent applications concerning the same or similar names. If personal data are part of that documentation, those personal data should also be retained.