Geographical Indications (GIs) are a type of intellectual property that identifies a product as originating from a specific place, where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. GIs protect a wide range of products, including agricultural products, foodstuffs, spirit drinks, wines, and aromatised wines.
Benefits of GIs
- Protection Against Misuse: GIs protect your products against misuse or imitation of the registered name, ensuring that only products genuinely originating from the specified region can use the name.
- Market Differentiation: GIs help differentiate your products in the market, highlighting their unique qualities and origin.
- Economic Value: Products with GIs often command higher prices and can contribute to the economic development of the region.
Types of EU Quality Schemes
- Protected Designations of Origin (PDO): For agricultural products and foodstuffs, and wines. PDOs cover products that are produced, processed, and prepared in a specific geographical area using recognized know-how.
- Protected Geographical Indications (PGI): For agricultural products and foodstuffs, and wines. PGIs cover products that are closely linked to the geographical area, with at least one of the stages of production, processing, or preparation taking place in the area.
- Geographical Indications (GI): For spirit drinks and aromatised wines.
Further information about EU quality schemes .
List of product names that have either applied for protection or that are now registered as a PDO, PGI or GI.
How to Register for GI Protection
- Identify the Product: Ensure that your product has a specific geographical origin and a reputation, quality, or other characteristics attributable to that origin.
- Prepare the Application: Gather all necessary documentation, including a description of the product, its geographical area, and the link between the product and its origin.
- Submit the Application: Submit your application to the relevant national authority or directly to the European Commission.
- Assessment and Approval: The application will be assessed, and if it meets the criteria, the product name will be registered under the appropriate EU quality scheme.
Applications for food and agricultural products
Applications for wine products
Applications for spirit drinks
Privacy
Applicants are advised to exclude all personal data (including persons names, personal telephone numbers and email addresses). Any personal data that is included is deemed to have been supplied pursuant to a legal process is susceptible to due treatment for the purposes of managing a geographical indication application and is liable to publication.
