Chapter III
The Benefit of Controlled Appellations of Origin
and Indications of Source
9. As soon as the decision provided for in Article 5 of this Law is issued, each
producer, processor or manufacturer of a product carrying out his activity in the geographical
area of the controlled appellation of origin or indication of source, and wishing to benefit
from this appellation or indication, shall be subject to the production, processing and
manufacturing requirements fixed in the specifications provided for in Article 10 of this Law.
10. No producer, processor or manufacturer may benefit from an controlled appellation
of origin or a geographical indication unless he meets the requirements of the model
specifications approved by decision of the Minister of Agriculture.
These model specifications shall include the following:
– the name of the product originating from the area of the controlled appellation of
origin or the indication of source;
– the definition of the product with an indication of its raw materials and its main
natural, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics;
– the delimitation of its area of production;
– the elements proving the source of the product from the area of the controlled
appellation of origin or indication of source;
– the description of the method of production, processing or manufacturing of the
product, and in particular the local methods and traditions adopted in the field, as appropriate;
– the possibility of setting annual amounts for certain products benefiting from an
controlled appellation of origin or an indication of source.
11. The benefit from an controlled appellation of origin or an indication of source shall
be subject to the submission of a request, for that purpose, to the Minister of Agriculture,
including the specifications provided for in Article 10 of this Law, duly signed by the
requestor or his legal representative.
12. The Minister of Agriculture shall submit the request referred to in Article 11 of this
Law for an opinion by the advisory technical commission for controlled appellations of origin
and indications of source. This commission shall verify that:
– the information contained in the specifications submitted complies with that
contained in the model specifications;
– all the requirements relating to the controlled appellation of origin or indication of
source are applied to the product concerned.
13. The Minister of Agriculture shall publish an opinion relating to said request in the
Official Gazette of the Republic of Tunisia, should the commission report be conclusive.
This opinion shall include the name of the requestor and his address, the name of the
product, its source area, and its production, processing or manufacturing methods.
14. Where no objection is raised to the opinion provided for in Article 13 of this Law
within six months of its publication, the Minister of Agriculture shall assign the benefit of the
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