Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products

What it is

to revise the system of geographical indications (GIs) for wines, spirit drinks and agricultural products with a view to facilitating the adoption of GIs throughout the Union as intellectual property instruments accessible to all farmers and producers of products, linked by characteristics or reputation, and to their place of production. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: Geographical indications (GIs) identify products that have qualities, characteristics or a reputation due to natural and human factors linked to their place of origin. They constitute an intellectual property right (IPR) designed to promote fair competition between producers by preventing bad faith uses of a name and fraudulent and deceptive practices. Today, the EU register of geographical indications contains almost 3 500 names of wines, spirit drinks, agricultural products and foodstuffs. The European Parliament adopted, by 603 votes to 18 with 8 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, and quality schemes for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/787 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. The matter has been referred to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations. The regulation would lay down rules governing the following quality schemes: (a) protected designations of origin (PDOs) and protected geographical indications (PGIs) for wines, agricultural products and foodstuffs and geographical indications for spirit drinks; (b) traditional specialities guaranteed (TSGs). Members stressed that high-quality products represent one of the biggest assets the Union has, both for its economy and cultural identity. Those products are the strongest representation of the “made in the EU” brand, recognisable throughout the whole world, which generate growth and preserve our heritage. Wines, spirit drinks and agricultural products are European assets that need to be further strengthened and protected. Citizens and consumers have the right to expect any geographical indication and quality system to be backed up by a solid verification and control system, whether the product comes from the EU or a third country. The unitary and exclusive system of geographical indications, protecting the names of wines, spirit drinks and agricultural products which have characteristics, attributes or a reputation linked to their place of production, should: (a) help producers to obtain a fair return for the quality of their products; (b) contribute to the achievement of the objectives of rural development policy by supporting farming and processing activities and farming systems associated with high-quality products. - ensure that consumers receive reliable information and a guarantee of authenticity and traceability of the quality, reputation and other…

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