‘Spreewälder Gurken’ (Spreewald gherkins) or ‘Münchner Bier’ (Munich beer) are product names for agricultural products that carry a “geographical indication”. They are therefore protected if there is a specific link to the place where the products were produced. It is precisely this protection that the European Commission is now demanding for craft and industrial products (so-called CIGIs, craft and industrial geographical indications). So far there was no overarching legal regulation for this.
Background and measures of the initiative, which is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Justice:
- In general, geographical indications strengthen consumer confidence and producers can market their goods better.
- On October 9, 2023, the Council of the European Union comprehensively extended the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products (CIGIs) for the first time and harmonized the existing system for agricultural products (AGRI-GIs).
- In the future, CIGIs are to be comprehensively protected under private law, regulating also rights for removal, injunction and compensation. In addition, the unlawful use or imitation of a CIGI will be subject to fines.
The ConPolicy Institute welcomes this further development, which is also based on the findings of a behavioral science study for the European Commission (DG GROW) which ConPolicy carried out.
Sources: German Federal Ministry of Justice and European Commission
Further information.