Coming in early 2024 the new European single legal framework on PDOs and PGIs
The measure aims to strengthen the protection of geographical indications, enhance the role of consortia and increase transparency to consumers 2 November 2023
The European Parliament, the European Council and the Commission have reached an agreement on the draft European Regulation aimed at implementing the guarantees granted to PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGIs (Protected Geographical Indication) introducing a single legal framework. This is a fundamental step to protect the cultural and gastronomic heritage of all European Union countries – especially Italy, which is the country with the highest number of registrations.
Among the new measures, the regulation provides for a stricter discipline regarding the indications to be included on product labels and a much closer examination of applications for the registration of traditional mentions, which cannot be granted when they are evocative of a PDO or PGI. In the future, therefore, there should be no more cases similar to the one in which Italy and Croatia are waging war over the confusing use of the name “Prošek”.
There is also a clampdown on domain names that mention protected names with misleading intentions toward consumers, and an expansion of the powers of consortia.
Another step forward, then, in the fight against false “Made in Italy”.
