EU strengthens geographical indications for agricultural products

The European Commission adopted its proposal to review the geographical indications (GIs) system for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products. Geographical indications protect the names of products from specific regions and with specific characteristics, qualities or a reputation, against copying or fraud and certify that they were made to high standards in their origin region.

The new measures should increase the uptake of GIs across the Union to benefit the rural economy and achieve a higher level of protection, especially online. The aim is to maintain the EU's high food quality and standards and ensure that our cultural, gastronomic and local heritage is preserved and certified as authentic within the EU and across the world.

The Commission proposes the following measures to strengthen and improve the existing system of geographical indications:

• Shortened and simplified registration procedure: the different technical and procedural rules on geographical indications will be merged, resulting in a single simplified GI registration procedure for EU and non-EU applicants. As this harmonisation will result in a shorter time between the submission of the application and the registration, it is expected to increase the attractiveness of the schemes for producers.
• Increased online protection: the new framework will increase the protection of GIs on the internet, namely as regards sales via online platforms and the protection against bad faith registration and use of GIs in the domain name system.
• More sustainability: as a direct follow-up of the Farm to Fork strategy, it will be possible for producers to valorise their actions regarding social, environmental or economic sustainability in their product specifications by laying down the related requirements. This will contribute to better protecting natural resources and rural economies, securing local plant varieties and animal breeds, conserving the landscape of the production area and improving animal welfare. This could also lead to appealing consumers who want to lower their impact on the environment.
• Empowered producers' groups: Member States will have to recognise GI producers' groups at their request. Recognised groups will be empowered to manage, enforce and develop their GIs, notably by having access to anti-counterfeiting authorities and customs in all Member States.

The proposal also re-conducts the quality scheme for traditional specialities guaranteed and the use of the term ‘mountain product' as an optional quality term.