By Angelica Lodigiani, Barzanó & Zanardo, ECTA Geographical Committee Vice-Chair, Italy

The EU Regulation 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products - also known as "CIGIs" - officially took effect yesterday.

With the regulation now in force, EU producers of CIGIs can apply for EU-wide protection through a single application process, filed either with the national competent authorities (Standard procedure) or the EUIPO (Direct procedure), depending on the applicable rules. Applications for products originating in non-EU countries must be filed before the EUIPO either by the applicants themselves, or via the competent authorities of their respective countries. A single registration grants a non-expirable protection across the EU.

Further details about the filing process can be found on the GIportal informative page and the Commission CIGI website.

The European Commission has also published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1956, which establishes detailed rules for applying the main Regulation. The guiding principles behind this legislation are uniformity, legal certainty, clarity, transparency, and efficiency. The implementing regulation addresses key areas, including the contents of GI applications, the Union register and digital system for electronic submissions, examination, opposition and cancellation procedures, EUIPO fees, and mutual assistance and cooperation between Member States for controls, enforcement, and communication.

To boost awareness and consumer recognition, the implementing regulation introduces a Union symbol and abbreviation, along with clear rules for their use, thus aligning CIGIs with other GI schemes. This regulation establishes a fully operational CIGI framework, ensuring a clearer, more efficient and more transparent system.

During the coming months, we will see how operators, particularly those in countries that previously lacked a national registration system for non-agricultural GIs, adapt to this new framework.

We inform ECTA members that the free online course “Craft and Industrial Geographical Indications in a nutshell” is open and can be accessed here. All relevant information about the new scheme, how to apply, how to search for CIGIs, next steps, FAQs, webinars, workshops and events on the topic can be found in the GI Hub on the EUIPO website.

ECTA, particularly through its ECTA Geographical Indications Committee, has been actively following the evolution of the CIGI regulatory framework since the outset, by providing comments on the various draft regulations and EUIPO's guidelines, as needed, preparing position papers on the subject, regularly exchanging with EUIPO and EU Commission representatives to brief the Committee members on the upcoming changes, as well as organising dedicated workshops on this topic. This includes the most recent workshop on the current state of play for non-agricultural GIs and recent GI case law that I had the pleasure of moderating during the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Lyon.