CHAPTER II

PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
SECTION 3

Amendments to product specifications

Types of amendments
Article 14
1
For the purposes of Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 amendments to a product specification are classified into two categories as regards their importance: amendments requiring an objection procedure at Union level (‘Union amendments’), and amendments to be dealt with at Member State or third country level (‘standard amendments’).
An amendment is considered to be a Union amendment where:
a
it includes a change in the name of the protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication;
b
it consists of a change, a deletion or an addition of a category of grapevine product, as referred to in Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013;
c
it could potentially void the link referred to in point (a)(i) or in point (b)(i) of Article 93(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013;
d
it entails further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
Applications for Union amendments submitted by third countries or by third country producers shall contain proof that the requested amendment complies with the laws on the protection of designations of origin or geographical indications in force in that third country.
All other amendments are considered standard amendments.
2
For the purposes of Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, a temporary amendment is a standard amendment concerning a temporary change in the product specification resulting from the imposition of obligatory sanitary and phytosanitary measures by the public authorities or linked to natural disasters or adverse weather conditions formally recognised by the competent authorities.

Procedure for Union amendments to product specifications
Article 15
1
An application for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification, as defined in Article 14 of this Regulation, shall follow the procedure laid down in Article 94 and Articles 96 to 99 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, in Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter II of this Regulation and in Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 mutatis mutandis.
2
Where, based on the examination carried out pursuant to Article 97(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the Commission considers that the conditions required under Article 97(3) of that Regulation are met, it shall publish the application for a Union amendment referred to in Article 9(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series. The final decision on the approval of the amendment shall be adopted without applying the examination procedure referred to in Article 229(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 unless an admissible objection has been lodged or the application for amendment is rejected, in which case the second paragraph of Article 99 of that Regulation shall apply.
3
An application for approval of Union amendments shall contain Union amendments exclusively. If an application for Union amendments also contains standard or temporary amendments the procedure for Union amendments shall apply only to the Union amendments. The standard or temporary amendments shall be deemed as not submitted.
4
In examining the applications for amendment, the Commission shall focus on the proposed amendments.

Admissibility of applications for Union amendment
Article 16
1
Applications for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification are considered admissible if they are submitted in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and with Article 3 and Article 9(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 mutatis mutandis, and if they are duly completed.
An application for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification shall be considered to be duly completed where it is comprehensive and exhaustive and where it complies with the requirements set out in Article 2 and Article 9(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34.
The approval by the Commission of an application for approval of a Union amendment to a product specification shall only cover the amendments submitted in the application itself.
2
If the application is considered inadmissible, the competent authorities of the Member State or those of the third country or the applicant established in a third country shall be informed of the reasons for the inadmissibility.

Standard amendments
Article 17
1
Standard amendments shall be approved and made public by Member States to which the geographical area of the designation of origin or geographical indication relates.
Applications for approval of a standard amendment to a product specification shall be submitted to the authorities of the Member State to whom the geographical area of the designation or indication relates. Applicants shall satisfy the conditions laid down in Article 95 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. If the application for approval of a standard amendment to a product specification does not come from the applicant which had submitted the application for protection of the name or names to which the product specification refers, the Member State shall give that applicant the opportunity to comment on the application, if that applicant still exists.
The application for a standard amendment shall provide a description of the standard amendments, provide a summary of the reasons for which the amendments are required and demonstrate that the proposed amendments qualify as standard in accordance with Article 14 of this Regulation.
2
Where the Member State considers that the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and the provisions adopted pursuant thereto are met, it may approve and make public the standard amendment. The approval decision shall include the modified consolidated single document, where relevant, and the modified consolidated product specification.
The standard amendment shall be applicable in the Member State once it has been made public. The Member State shall communicate standard amendments to the Commission not later than one month following the date on which the national decision of approval was made public.
3
Decisions approving standard amendments concerning grapevine products originating in third countries shall be taken in accordance with the system in force in the third country concerned and shall be communicated to the Commission by a single producer within the meaning of Article 3 or a group of producers having a legitimate interest, either directly to the Commission or via the authorities of that third country, not later than one month following the date they are made public.
4
The communication of standard amendments shall be considered to be duly completed when it complies with Article 10 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34.
5
In the event that the standard amendment implies a modification of the single document, the Commission shall publish the description of the standard amendment referred to in Article 10 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 and the modified single document in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, within three months from the date on which the communication is received from the Member State, third country or third country single producer or group of producers.
6
In the event that the standard amendment does not imply a modification of the single document, the Commission shall make public, via the information systems referred to in Article 32 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34, the description of the standard amendment within three months from the date on which the communication is received from the Member State, third country or applicant established in the third country.
7
Standard amendments shall be applicable in the territory of the Union once they have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series or made public by the Commission in the information systems referred to in Article 32 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34.
8
If the geographical area covers more than one Member State, the Member States concerned shall apply the procedure for standard amendments separately for the part of the area which falls within their territory. The standard amendment shall be applicable only after the last national decision of approval becomes applicable. The Member State last approving the standard amendment shall send the Commission the communication referred to in paragraph 4 not later than one month following the date on which its decision approving the standard amendment is made public.
If one or more of the Member States concerned do not adopt the national decision of approval referred to in the first subparagraph, any of Member States concerned may submit an application under the Union amendment procedure. Such a rule shall also apply mutatis mutandis when one or more of the concerned countries is a third country.

Temporary amendments
Article 18
1
Temporary amendments shall be approved and made public by Member States to which the geographical area of the designation of origin or geographical indication relates. They shall be communicated to the Commission together with the reasons supporting the temporary amendments not later than one month following the date on which the national decision of approval was made public. A temporary amendment is applicable in the Member State once it has been made public.
2
Where the geographical area covers more than one Member State, the procedure for temporary amendment applies separately in the Member States concerned for the part of the area which falls within their territory. Temporary amendments shall be applicable only when the last national decision of approval becomes applicable. The Member State last approving the temporary amendment shall communicate it to the Commission not later than one month following the date upon which its decision of approval is made public. This rule applies, mutatis mutandis, also when one or more of the countries concerned is a third country.
3
Temporary amendments concerning grapevine products originating in third countries shall be communicated to the Commission, together with the reasons supporting the temporary amendments, by a single producer within the meaning of Article 3 or a group of producers having a legitimate interest, either directly or via the authorities of that third country, not later than one month following their approval.
4
The communication of temporary amendments shall be considered to be duly completed when it contains all the elements referred to in Article 11 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34.
5
The Commission shall make public such amendments within three months from the date on which the communication is received from the Member State, third country or third country single producer or group of producers. A temporary amendment is applicable in the territory of the Union once it has been made public by the Commission.