New EU GI for craft and industrial products
The provisional new agreement will offer EU-wide protection for craft and industrial products for the first time.
The agreement between the European Parliament and European Council will come into action once formally adopted by both parties.
This development will see GI protections for industrial products which are essentially linked to their area of production, such as Limoges porcelain, be brought in line with protections for agricultural, food and beverage products such as champagne.
Currently, there is no central form of protection for these products.
The deal also ensures that the protection of craft and industrial GIs functions within the online environment and in e-commerce contexts.
The system for craft and industrial GIs will be primarily based on self-declaration, which member states can then reinforce with more specific controls.
The regulation is expected to enter into force beginning of 2024, following the proposal for the regulation in April 2022.
It is one of the key proposals under the Intellectual Property Action Plan, which was presented by the European Commission in November 2020.