Parliament approves amendments for laws on illegal logging, domestic wine, geographical indications

The Parliament of Georgia on Thursday discussed and approved amendments aimed to reduce illegal logging, increase quality and competitiveness of Georgian wine, and combine the system of geographical indications for domestic products with the corresponding European Union structure. 

As part of the amendments to the Law of Georgia on State Property, wood plants illegally obtained within the boundaries of state forests will be transferred to forest management bodies, with Deputy Agriculture Minister Nino Tandilashvili explaining the change would enable the latter to use the removed timber to meet a part of “social needs for timber resources” and reduce the scale of logging. 

Amendments to the Law of Georgia on Grapes and Wine aim to regulate the creation of a unified registry of vineyards across the country. Tandilashvili said the change would contribute to increasing the quality and competitiveness of Georgian wine on the international market and ensure transparency in seasonal harvests.

The Parliament also approved the Law on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods. Nino Tsilosani, the Chair of the Agrarian Issues Committee of the legislative body, said the initiative would bring the domestic geographical indications system closer to the “best practices” of the EU, and provide “even more opportunities” for the protection and promotion of Georgian products outside the borders of the country.

In a separate change, amendments to the Law of Georgia on Licences and Permits will see the State Security Service and public law legal entities under its sphere of governance added to the list of state agencies that are not subject to licensing for the purchase of “relevant products”.