European Union geographical indications for craft and industrial products: Unlocking protection for regional identity and local know-how
Author: Florina Firaru
From December 1, 2025, craft and industrial (“CI”) products will fully benefit from EU-wide geographical indications (“GI”/“GIs”) protection under Regulation (EU) 2023/2411[1] (the “Regulation”).
GI and the protection extended to CI products
GIs confer intellectual property rights on product names whose unique qualities are intrinsically linked to their place of production.
While GIs are better known in the agricultural, wine, spirits and food sectors (for example, “Champagne”, “Roquefort”, “Telemea de Sibiu[2]” or “Irish Whiskey”), the EU has extended this protection to provide official recognition of origin for CI products, such as woodwork, textiles, lace, cutlery, glass, porcelain etc.
According to the Regulation (Articles 4 and 6) CI refers to products:
- made either entirely by hand or with the aid of manual or digital tools, or by mechanical means, whenever the manual contribution is an important component of the finished product; or
- made in a standardised way, including serial production and by using machines.
For the name of a CI product to qualify for GI protection, the product must comply with the following requirements:
- the product must originate in a specific place, region or country;
- the product has a quality, reputation or other characteristic that is essentially attributable to its geographical origin; and
- at least one of the production steps (for example manufacturing, processing, obtaining, extracting, cutting or preparation) takes place in the defined geographical area.
The link between a product and a place may derive from traditional know-how, specific production techniques, locally sourced raw materials, or historical reputation associated with the place/region/country.
The following iconic Romanian products are potentially protectable[3] by CI GIs: ceramică de Horezu (in translation Horezu ceramics/pottery), ouă încondeiate Bucovina (in translation Bucovina decorative/painted eggs) or mobilier pictat manual săsesc din Transilvania (in translation hand-painted Saxon furniture from Transylvania – wooden products).
Registration process
GIs for CI products confer a collective right that can be exercised by a group/ association of producers in a defined geographical area who are willing to adhere to a product specification, or by a single producer under certain conditions.
The Regulation stipulates that the examination and registration of CI GIs take place in two phases, the first one at national level, and the second one at EU level, as summarized below.
National phase: The application to register a CI product name as a GI must be filed with the relevant national authority[4].
The application needs to be prepared to meet all necessary requirements and to provide the product specifications, including the name and the type of product to be protected, a description of the product and the production method(s), the specification of the geographical area in question and information establishing the link between the geographical area and the product’s quality, the reputation or other characteristic, as well as any specific labelling rules applicable to the products.
This phase involves examination by the competent authority, as well as a national opposition procedure. Following the examination of the application and the assessment of opposition outcomes, the competent authority will either issue a favourable decision or reject the application, if the registrability requirements are not met. The favourable decision and product specifications must be published, and any interested party may appeal the decision.
EU phase: Once the national phase has been successfully completed, the application is forwarded to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (“EUIPO”), which manages the opposition procedure at the EU level and approves or denies its registration.
Any producer located within the geographical area and complying with the conditions set out in the product specification will then be entitled to use the registered GI.
GIs benefit from broad protection and, among others, are safeguarded against:
- Unauthorized commercial use, whether direct or indirect, involving comparable products or taking unfair advantage of the GI’s reputation;
- Misuse, imitation or evocation of the protected name, even when the true origin is stated or terms such as “style,” “type,” or “imitation” are used;
- False or misleading indications regarding the product’s origin, nature, or qualities, including on packaging, advertising, or online materials;
- Any practice that could mislead consumers about the product’s true origin.
The protection of GIs shall also apply to any use of a domain name that is contrary to the above.
Concluding thoughts
The extension of EU GIs to craft and industrial products marks a milestone in the recognition of cultural and creative heritage. It acknowledges that not only food, wine, and spirits, but also artisanal and industrial products draw strength and distinction from their connection to place and tradition.
For skilled artisans and small and medium-sized enterprises, this new framework opens the door to greater brand value, offering them the opportunity to highlight their craftsmanship, heritage-driven manufacturing, reputation, and authenticity on a broader market.
GIs sit alongside trademarks, designs, patents and trade secrets. In some cases, a GI may offer additional protection, but a GI does not replace the need for other intellectual property rights. It should be noted that the registration and protection of GI for CI products under the Regulation does not affect producers’ obligation to comply with other specific legislation, particularly relating to placing products on the market, product labelling, product safety, product advertising and consumer protection.
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[1] Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products and amending Regulations (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/1753.
[2] Telemea de Sibiu PGI is a semi-hard cheese made from sheep’s milk, produced in the rustic wilderness of Transylvania, Romania.
[3] EUIPO’s commisioned Study on EU Member States potential for protecting craft and industrial geographical indications.
[4] In Romania, the national authority proposed for designation is the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism. Specific legal determinations regarding the registration procedure of GIs for CI products are still underway at this stage.
