Designation of the competent authority

1.   Without prejudice to paragraph 2 of this Article or to Article 19, each Member State shall designate a competent authority for the national phase of the procedure for the registration of geographical indications for craft and industrial products.
That competent authority shall also be responsible for the national phase of the procedures regarding amendment of the product specification or cancellation of the registration.
2.   Two or more Member States may agree that the competent authority of one of those Member States is to be responsible for the national phase of the procedures referred to in paragraph 1, including the submission of the application to the Office, also on behalf of the other Member State or Member States.
3.   Member States shall inform the Commission and the Office by 1 December 2025 of the names and addresses of the competent authorities designated under paragraph 1, and shall keep that information up to date. They shall inform the Commission and the Office, by the same date, where they decide to cooperate with each other on a permanent basis in relation to the national phase of the procedures, as provided for in paragraph 2.