Council and Parliament Reach Temporary Agreement to Protect Geographical Indications for Craft and Industrial Products

On the rule for the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal.

Geographical indications (GIs), which up until now were mostly used for foods and beverages, will be expanded to industrial products whose attributes are fundamentally related to the location of production, such as Bohemian glass, Limoges porcelain, or Solingen cutlery, once this legislation is eventually approved.

Wines, alcoholic beverages, foods, and other agricultural products are currently covered by particular GI protection regulations in the EU. Agricultural GIs include well-known products like Champagne and Prosciutto di Parma. However, there is currently no EU-wide GI protection for craft and industrial goods. In order to complement the already-existing EU protection for geographical indications in the agricultural sector, this regulation aims to provide directly applicable GI protection for industrial and craft products (such as jewellery, textiles, glass, porcelain, etc.) at the EU level.

By assisting artisans and manufacturers, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to promote and safeguard their traditional know-how at the EU level in accordance with EU competition rules, GI protection for such items will encourage more innovation and investment in crafts.