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Protection of geographical indications pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2023/2411

Protection for craft and industrial products (from 1 December 2025)

Names of products originating in a specific geographical area, the quality, reputation or other characteristics of which are attributable to that particular origin, can be protected as geographical indications.

Uniform protection at EU level, which has so far only been established for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (agricultural geographical indications – AGRI GIs), will be extended to craft and industrial products (craft and industrial geographical indications – CIGIs). From 1 December 2025, the names of such products can be protected by a central registration as geographical indications that is valid throughout the European Union. The legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 and the future German implementing provisions contained in the Trade Mark Act (Markengesetz).

Objective of the new IP right

The objective of the protection as a geographical indication is to promote regional crafts and traditional industries, prevent imitations and safeguard the economic value of the products. Applications for registration can usually only be submitted by producer groups. A registered geographical indication confers a collective right that provides protection against any misuse of the protected name.

Which products can be protected as geographical indications?

All products produced by hand or in a standardised way and by using machines are eligible for protection. This includes watches, cutlery, fabrics, porcelain, woodwork, jewellery, textiles, natural stones and glass.

Requirements for the protection as a geographical indication

• The product must originate in a specific place, region or country;
• the quality, the reputation or any other characteristic of the product must be essentially attributable to its geographical origin; and
• at least one of the production steps must take place in that geographical area.

A product specification including a precise description of the product is drawn up for each product. Only products that comply with these requirements can be offered under the protected geographical indication.

Competences and examination procedure

From 1 December 2025, applications for registration of a geographical indication can be filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) as the competent national authority.
The examination procedure is a two-stage procedure: in the national phase, the DPMA examines the application, manages a national opposition procedure if necessary and, following the positive completion of the examination, submits the application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). In the second phase, the EUIPO continues the procedure at EU level and takes a final decision on the registration. For additional information, please click here.

To the extent a specific protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products has so far been possible at national level – in Germany, the designation "Solingen" is protected for cutlery in accordance with the Solingen Ordinance (Solingenverordnung) and the designation "Glashütte" is protected for watches in accordance with the Glashütte Ordinance (Glashütteverordnung) – such national protection will cease to exist on 2 December 2026, unless a valid request for EU-wide protection has been made until that date pursuant to Article 70 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2411.

Union register for craft and industrial products

Names of craft and industrial products for which an application for registration as a geographical indication has been filed or which have been registered as a geographical indication will be entered in the electronic Union register.
This register will be available via the EUIPO website upon entry into force of the Regulation on the Protection of Geographical Indications for Craft and Industrial Products, i.e. on 1 December 2025.

Protection for AGRI products

Europe-wide protection as a geographical indication has been possible for AGRI products (wine, spirit drinks, agricultural products) since 1992.

Legal basis

The current legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 (formerly Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012) with the German implementing provisions contained in sections 130 to 136 of the Trade Mark Act.

Types of protection

There are two types of protection for AGRI products:

• protected designation of origin (PDO)
• protected geographical indication (PGI)

In both cases, the name must be used to designate the relevant product, which must originate in a specific place, region or country. The essential requirement for protection is that there is a link between the characteristics of the product and its production in the region of origin.

With respect to the protected designation of origin, the link must be particularly strong, i.e. all production steps must take place in the region concerned. As for the protected geographical indication, however, it is sufficient if one of the production steps takes place in the region of origin and if the quality, the reputation or any other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to that geographical origin.

Two-stage examination procedure

The examination is conducted in two stages: first by the competent national authority, then by the EU Commission, which also carries out registration. At national level, two different authorities have so far been competent for the examination procedure in Germany: the DPMA processes applications concerning agricultural products, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) examines applications concerning wine and spirit drinks.

Change of competence at national level from 1 December 2025

Upon introduction of the new protection system for craft and industrial products on 1 December 2025, the BLE will be competent for all AGRI products, so the BLE will process all new applications concerning AGRI GIs, including for agricultural products, from 1 December 2025.

Search for protected geographical indications

The official EU register for protected geographical indications is eAmbrosia. This register contains all indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products applied for or already protected. Geographical indications protected on the basis of the EU regulation or under international agreements can be consulted on GIview, a database operated by the EUIPO.

In the DPMAregister database, you can additionally find a list of geographical indications with information on the examination procedure at the DPMA.

Geographical indications registered as protected geographical indications or protected designations of origin have to be taken into consideration as absolute grounds for refusal in application procedures or invalidity proceedings under trade mark law and as grounds for opposition in proceedings concerning conflicting signs under trade mark law.

Picture 1: iStock.com/FG Trade, picture 2: iStock.com/valentinrussanov, picture 3: European Union

Last updated: 19 August 2025