Geographical indications for artisan and industrial products are introduced in the EU

Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 enters into force on 1 December 2025, creating for the first time a unified system in the European Union to protect geographical indications (GIs) of artisan and industrial products.

Until now, the 'universe of GIs' has been almost exclusively associated with agricultural products, foodstuffs, wines, and alcoholic beverages.

With the new regime, products such as glass, ceramics, tableware, esparto grass, and leather goods can now have their specific framework, managed on a European scale by the EUIPO.

1. What are PGIs and PDOs?

The reform does not start from scratch but expands an already known quality system in the EU:

• PGI – Protected Geographical Indication. Applies to agricultural products, foodstuffs, and wines. Requires a link to the geographical origin and that at least one stage of production takes place in the area.
• GI – Geographical Indications. Traditionally associated with alcoholic products, and from 2025 also with artisan and industrial products (ceramics, glass, cutlery, footwear, textiles, jewellery, etc.).

In both cases, the logic is similar: the protected name indicates that the quality, reputation or other characteristics of the product are essentially due to a specific place.

2. Which products can benefit?

The regulation widely distinguishes between:

• Artisan products: made entirely by hand, with the help of manual or digital tools, or by mechanical means, as long as the manual contribution remains essential to the result.
• Industrial products: manufactured in a standardized manner, including mass production, generally using machinery.

The scope is broad: cutlery, ceramics and porcelain, glass, tips, leather goods, footwear, stone and marble, esparto, furniture, musical instruments, paper, certain textiles or decorative products, among others. The European Commission estimates that there are several hundred products in the EU that could benefit from this system.

3. What changes does the new Regulation introduce?

The big change is that the EU is moving from a PDO system focused on agri-food products to one that also includes a specific title for craftsmanship and industry:

• A harmonized framework is created for all member states, which replaces the different national regimes.
• The PDO becomes a unique title of the EU: once registered, it is automatically protected in all 27 member states.
• EUIPO is responsible for the management on a Union scale (examination, oppositions, registration and possible cancellations), using tools such as the PDO/PGI Portal and the European Register of PDOs/PGIs.

In practice, many sectors that until now have relied exclusively on collective or certification marks to control the use of geographical names will have a mechanism specifically designed to protect the product-territory-reputation link.

4. Basic requirements and who can apply for a GI

To obtain a PDO for artisan or industrial products, three elements must be present:

• A clearly defined product. With recognizable physical, technical or aesthetic characteristics (materials, processes, finishes, styles, characteristic designs).
• A defined geographical area. A municipality, district, region or country, described with objective criteria (administrative boundaries, map, geographical references).
• A real link with the territory. Natural factors (local raw materials, climate, resources) and/or human factors (transmitted techniques, tradition, historical reputation) that explain why this product is not generic, but specific to that area.

All this is included in the specifications, which will be the central document for examination by national authorities and the EPO.

The general rule is that PGIs are applied for by groups of producers (associations, cooperatives, consortia, clusters), mainly made up of producers of the product in question and open to the incorporation of other operators who meet the specifications. Exceptionally, a single producer, a local or regional authority, or an organization designated by the State may also apply, provided it is justified why a group is not viable.

5. Registration procedure (summary)

The procedure will be entirely electronic and, as a general rule, will consist of two phases:

1) National phase

The competent authority of each member state (in Spain, the OEPM and/or the autonomous communities, depending on the scope involved) receives and examines the application, publishes the draft of the PDO/PGI and manages internal oppositions. If the decision is favourable, it forwards the file to the EUIPO.

2) EUIPO phase

The EUIPO reviews the file, opens a stage of opposition at Union level, and decides on registration. The granted PGIs are registered in the European register and their protection automatically extends to all member states.

6. What does the protection cover? 'Evocation' as a key element

The protection of PDOs and PGIs goes beyond the prevention of literal copies of the name. It allows actions against:

• the direct or indirect use of the protected name for products that do not meet the specifications;
• imitations and 'evocations', even when the name is not reproduced exactly;
• false or misleading indications about the origin, nature or essential characteristics of the product;
• uses that constitute unfair exploitation of the reputation of the PDO.

The concept of evocation is particularly relevant: it covers signs that, without copying the name, create a phonetic, visual, or conceptual proximity such that the consumer immediately thinks of the registered PDO. This logic, already well-established in the agri-food sector, will also apply to artisan and industrial products, with a direct impact on naming, branding and design strategies for new brands with geographical or cultural references.

7. Key dates and strategic issues

Two milestones stand out on the calendar:

• 1 December 2025: effective start of the system. From this date, applications for PDOs for artisan and industrial products can be submitted.
• 2 December 2026: deadline for member states to notify the Commission and the EUIPO of names that are not generic, already consolidated for use in their territory, that they wish to be protected under the new regime, with simplified procedures and without a national opposition phase.

In this context, it is advisable for potentially interested sectors to start evaluating, among other issues:

• which products already have a reputation linked to a territory;
• how the future PDO will be coordinated with existing collective or guarantee brands;
• which group of producers could lead the development of the specifications and governance of the PGI;
• and how the new figure can be integrated into the commercial and international strategies of each sector.

Beyond the regulatory novelty, this new generation of Geographical Indications for artisan and industrial products offers the opportunity to transform the origin, history and know-how of many sectors into a structured, recognizable legal and commercial asset throughout the European Union.

Information note prepared by the Industrial Property Department of ECIJA Madrid.