Litigation
The INAO's legal and international department handles administrative, civil and criminal litigation concerning the protection of signs and denominations.
Administrative litigation
The INAO's legal and international department also handles administrative litigation, which mainly involves defending decisions taken by the INAO that are challenged by a third party.
It can defend alone, or intervene alongside the Ministries of Agriculture and Economy when specifications are challenged, following recognition, or a modification of specifications voted by the INAO.
In figures (2024)
- 15 decisions rendered: 4 in the wine sector, 10 in the agri-food sector, 1 sector organic farming
- 2 decisions handed down by the Conseil d'État
- 13 decisions handed down by an administrative court
- 1 decision handed down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)
Civil and criminal litigation
INAO takes civil action on its own initiative or on that of the defense and management bodies, but in most cases jointly, to obtain the cessation of infringements and compensation for the damage suffered. Civil litigation is exclusively in the field of intellectual property.
Penal actions to punish fraud are carried out on the initiative of the Direction générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) or the Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI). The INAO then becomes a civil party.
In figures (2024 - criminal litigation)
- 28 dossiers followed up including 2 new dossiers
- Of which 28 led INAO to become a civil party
- Of which 25 in the wine sector
. 25 in the wine sector