European Parliament Approves Regulation on Geographical Indications for Wines, Spirit Drinks and Agricultural Products

On 28 February 2024, the European Parliament reached a significant milestone by adopting the Regulation on geographical indications (GIs) for wines, spirit drinks, and agricultural products (GI Regulation). This marks the completion of the comprehensive GI reform initiated by the European Union (EU) in 2020.

In contrast to the EU GI system for craft and industrial products, the new GI Regulation will be less disruptive. Rather than establishing a completely new GI system, it focuses on amending certain aspects of existing ones. This represents a departure from the previous approach, where different legal acts governed GIs for wines, spirit drinks, and agricultural products separately. For the first time since the inception of EU-wide GI rights, a single GI Regulation will address GIs across these diverse product categories.

Expanding upon the existing regulations, the registration process outlined in the GI Regulation will involve both a national phase and an EU-wide phase. At the EU-wide level, examination will be carried out by the European Commission.