CHANGE OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS UNDER THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE EU: A RETROSPECTIVE, ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR UKRAINE

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The article analyzes retrospective preconditions, identifies possible economic consequences and summarizes the possibilities of Ukraine from changing geographical indications due to the ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU. It is established that one-fifth of the profits from the sale of agricultural products and beverages, the names of which are protected in the list of «Geographical Indicators» of the European Union, are the result of exports of these products outside the European Union. According to the study, sales of goods with protected geographical names are on average twice as high as those of similar goods without proper certification. EU experience indicates that geographical indications not only protect intangible assets in the form of intellectual property, but also are carriers of cultural values for nation, which promotes them in the international community and leads to increased sales. Ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has identified both long-term (10-year) and medium-term (7-year) requirements for banning the use of a number of geographical indications of European products and identifying their production in Ukraine, which requires research to establish retrospective preconditions for such joint expression of will of the EU and Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine has no experience in developing its own geographical indications, their legal protection and competitive positioning in international markets. The advantages of the introduction of geographical indications in Ukraine at the levels of «consumer», «producer», «region» are established. It is proved that the initiated process of harmonization of national legislation with EU standards initiated the adaptation of domestic legislation in the field of intellectual property to EU law and the provisions of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. Approximation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU norms on protection of geographical indications allows to harmonize the national system of their protection in the process of foreign economic activity with relevant EU regulations, which will promote competitive domestic geographical indications and their effective entry into the European market in the form of regional brands.