only of competing companies but also of consumers, thereby undermining the efficient functioning of the market. Consider the well-known Prosek case, which began a few years ago and only recently came to an end. Prosek is a Croatian dessert wine similar to Passito, made from indigenous Croatian grape varieties. An application was made to register the wine as a new PDO, and the file was sent to the Commission. Had the application been accepted, the producers of Prosecco, a world-famous drink with no connection to Prosek, would have been the first to suffer potential damage. It is not unreasonable to suggest that many consumers could have mistaken Prosek for Prosecco, thereby being misled. The well-known case recently came to an end with the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, which aims to strengthen the protection of GIs and TSGs in the EU and third countries by prohibiting any unauthorised commercial use, direct or indirect, of such names. The entry into force of the regulation has finally resolved the issue, preventing the use of the name Prosek on labels in Croatia or any other Member State, thereby protecting consumers. V. WHO IS ENTITLED TO OBJECT? As mentioned above, any natural or legal person, whether public or private, who can demonstrate a legitimate interest may object to the registration of a new GI or to changes made by the Union. An initial objection can be submitted to the designated authority of the Member State responsible for examining the application and preparing the preliminary assessment. A second objection can be submitted to the Commission within three months of the application for registration being published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Objections lodged during the national phase may be submitted by ‘any natural or legal person’ residing in the territory of the Member State in which the application was submitted. The merits of the objections raised at a national level will be examined, and a relevant decision will be made. In accordance with the internal procedure defined by the relevant State, the opponent at national level will then be precluded from submitting subsequent opposition to the Commission. At the European level, opposition before the Commission may only be lodged by the authorities of a Member State or third country, or by any natural or legal person who is a resident or is established in a third country. Opposition 403 QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTION: BETWEEN PROTECTION NEEDS
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