Geographical indications for craft and industrial products – key date: 2 December 2026

EU Regulation (EU) 2023/2411, introducing a new system of protection for geographical indications for craft and industrial products (CIGI), has been applicable since 1 December 2025. After the first months of the system’s operation, the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) confirms growing interest from producers who can obtain exclusive rights to use a name linked to a specific region and traditional production method.

We are drawing attention to this now because time to act is limited. A key deadline is approaching – 2 December 2026 – when existing national protection will permanently cease. Failure to take appropriate registration steps before this date may mean losing the right to protect your product’s traditional name in the EU market.

Protection of geographical indications in the EU – what’s changing for producers?

Until recently, EU protection for geographical indications was reserved mainly for agricultural products, wines, and spirits. Currently, protection can also cover craft and industrial products whose quality, reputation, or specific characteristics derive from their place of origin, including natural stones, wooden products, jewelry, textiles, lace, cutlery, glass, porcelain, and leather/hides.

The new regulations present an opportunity to build a competitive advantage, but also a legal challenge for:

• producers of craft and traditional goods,
• micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and family businesses relying on local know-how,
• producer associations and organizations representing specific regions.

We note that this new instrument operates alongside trademarks and industrial designs. On the one hand, this means the opportunity to obtain a new, strong form of protection; on the other hand, it carries the risk of blocking the use of previously unregistered commercial names or being unable to register new trademarks if they conflict with a registered geographical indication.

Conditions for obtaining protection for a geographical indication

To obtain protection (and be eligible to use the “PGI” designation – Protected Geographical Indication), a product must satisfy three cumulative requirements:

• Originate from a specific place, region, or country.
• Its quality, reputation, or other characteristic must be essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
• At least one production step must take place in that area.

Registration of a geographical indication – a step-by-step guide

The standard registration procedure is typically two-tiered:

• National stage: An application is submitted by a producer group (or exceptionally a single producer) to the competent national authority. This authority examines the application and conducts national opposition proceedings. In Poland, the competent authority is the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland (UPRP).
• EU stage: Following positive national verification, the application is forwarded to EUIPO, which conducts the final examination and publishes it in the integrated EU register, opening the way for the EU opposition procedure.

After obtaining registration, before placing the product on the market, the producer must submit a self-declaration (confirming the product’s compliance with the specification), which must be renewed every 3 years.

Failure to register a geographical indication – risks for businesses

Businesses that fail to properly protect regional product names may lose the ability to effectively stand out in the EU market or face difficulties in combatting imitations and preventing third parties from exploiting the product’s reputation. At the same time, companies should audit their existing designations to avoid the risk of infringing protected geographical indications in trade.

What should businesses and producer groups do now?

Although the Member State acts as an intermediary and submits the list to the EU, it is in the producers’ interest to ensure their product is included on it.

In practice, this means that before the deadline, producers should:

• analyze whether the product name and its characteristics are linked to a specific geographical area,
• gather documentation proving the product’s tradition, production methods, and reputation,
• prepare a product description and the specification required in the registration procedure,
• review whether current commercial names, brands, and marketing materials comply with the new protection framework.

EUIPO points out that in the initial proceedings, particular importance is attached to a detailed description of the product’s characteristics, a precise definition of the geographical area, and proving the link between the product and its origin.

Protect your product’s geographical indication

If you would like to check whether your product is eligible for geographical indication protection, please contact our IP team. We will analyse whether the requirements are met, prepare the registration documentation and guide you through the proceedings before the Polish Patent Office and EUIPO. We will also help you assess the risk of conflict with other designations and protect your brand on the EU market. Once registered, we will also support you in protecting the designation against unauthorised use by competitors.