The Council of the EU adopted a new regulation that safeguards geographical indications (GIs) for craft and industrial products. This new EU-wide intellectual property right could offer protection to products like Donegal tweed, Porcelaine de Limoges, Solingen cutlery, Murano glass and Boleslawiec pottery.
The regulation from the European Parliament and the Council aims to enable artisans and producers, particularly small businesses, to promote and protect names of their craft and industrial products whose characteristics are essentially attributable to their place of origin. The objective is to enhance consumers’ ability to recognise and appreciate the quality of these products, facilitating consumers to make more informed choices. Consequently, it will become easier to support the promotion, attraction and retention of skills and job opportunities in the EU.
The regulation comes in the wake of the existing GI protection rules for wines, spirit drinks, foodstuffs and other agricultural products, a framework which has been in place since 1992.