(1) Applications for the registration of a geographical indication or of a designation of origin in the Register of protected designations of origin and of protected geographical indications which is maintained by the European Commission in accordance with Article 11 of the Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (OJ L 343 of 14 December 2012, p. 1) in its respectively applicable version, shall be filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
(2) The Trade Mark Divisions established at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall have competence for the proceedings as regulated in this Chapter.
(3) When examining the application, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall ask for the opinions of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, of the competent specialist ministries of the Länder in question, of the interested public corporations as well as those of the interested associations and industry organisations.
(4) The German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall publish the application. An opposition may be lodged with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office against the application within two months of publication by any person with a legitimate interest who is based or resides in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.
(5) If the application meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and complies with the provisions issued for its implementation, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall find this by decision. Otherwise, the application shall be refused by decision. The German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall publish the favourable decision. Should there be major alterations to the indications published in accordance with subsection (4), these shall be published together with the granting decision. The decision in accordance with sentence 1 and in accordance with sentence 2 shall be served on the applicant and on those who lodged oppositions by the time limit.
(6) If it is found with legal force that the application complies with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and of the provisions issued for its implementation, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall inform the applicant hereof and shall transmit the application to the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection with the necessary documents. Further, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall publish the version of the specification to which the positive decision refers. The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection shall transmit the application to the European Commission with the necessary documents.
(7) If the specification has been amended during the registration procedure at the European Commission, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall publish the version of the specification on which the registration is based.