Wine Law

4 framework (at present integrated in Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013, of 17 December 7 ). Other norms have been approved lately in other areas governed by peculiar quality schemes. In 2008, Regulation No. 110/2008 of 15 January 2008, on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (ECC) nº 1576/89 8 was passed; and so was Regulation (EU) No. 251/2014 of 26 February 2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1601/91 9 in 2014. The international context has added to the conceptual uncertainty of designations of origin. We cannot delve now 10 into the theoretical contributions made by the Paris (1883) and Madrid (1891) Conventions; the Lisbon Agreement (ALDO, 1958) and the Geneva Act, 2015; and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), following the Marrakech Agreement, within the GATT negotiations, a body that evolved into the World Trade Organization (WTO). In this last agreement European geographical designations were deemed to free world trade. Interestingly, the reform of the EU regulation in 2006 was driven substantially by international commitments. The concrete terms of the protection afforded by this legal framework are discussed on a regular basis 11 . Equally, the legal nature of designations of origin, traditionally viewed as a private law notion may pose some difficulty as to getting a full grasp of it. Should we not rather view it as a public law concept? 7 DOUE L 364, of 20 December 2013. 8 DOUE L 39, of 13 December 2008. 9 DOUE L 84, of 20 March 2014. 10 For further detail on this and other issues see my work La denominación de origen. Análisis crítico de una institución jurídico-pública , Comares, Granada, 2019. 11 Regarding the fundamental international dimension of designations of origin, vid . LUPONE, A. (2009), “Il dibattito sulle indicazione geografiche nel sistema multilaterale degli scambi: del Doha round dell’Organizzazione Mondiale del Commercio alla protezione Trips plus”, in UBERTAZZI, B. & MUÑIZ ESPADA, E. (ed.), Le indicazioni di qualità degli alimenti. Diritto internazionale ed europeo , Giuffrè Editore, Milán, p. 36; and in the same work, COSCIA, G., “Il rapport fra sistema internazionali e comunitari sulla protezione delle indicazioni di qualità”, p. 43.