On the 26 March 2024, the European Council adopted the regulation on geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural products, wines, and spirit drinks. Once the regulation is published in the EU’s Official Journal, it will enter into force 20 days later.
This regulation aims at improving the protection for agricultural sector, while consolidating previous procedures, previously dispersed across separate documents, into a single comprehensive framework. This change is expected to streamline the process for registering GIs, making it easier and more efficient for producers. The EUIPO will manage the Union Register under the new regulation. Furthermore, the EUIPO has already collaborated in other aspects of the protection of GIs for agricultural products such as the creation and maintenance of GIview, the most comprehensive searchable database for GIs that will soon include GIs for craft and industrial products. This effort underscores the EU's dedication to protecting the unique qualities of its agricultural products, benefiting both producers and consumers.
This reform is part of the EU's broader efforts to safeguard the distinctiveness and heritage of its agricultural produce, while also promoting consumer trust and rural development.
Furthermore, the reform aims to increase the uptake of GIs across the EU, enhancing rural economies and providing a higher level of protection for the name of products. EUIPO has been given an active role in the legal reform of the GIs schemes, in particular for craft and industrial productswhere EUIPO will be competent authority for managing the registration of those GIs in the EU, together with Member States, and competent authority before WIPO for international registration of GIs for craft and industrial products. EUIPO will likewise continue with its GI knowledge expansion through awareness raising and training activities and GI promotion trough international cooperation as regards GIs in general. This demonstrates the EU's holistic approach to intellectual property rights. This legislative milestone is a testament to the EU's commitment to fostering innovation, safeguarding heritage, and supporting sustainable agricultural practices across its member states.