Geographical Indications – a European treasure worth €75 billion

study published today 

Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, said: “European Geographical Indications reflect the wealth and diversity of products that our agricultural sector has to offer. Producers' benefits are clear. They can sell products at a higher value, to consumers looking for authentic regional products. GIs are a key aspect of our trade agreements. By protecting products across the globe, we prevent fraudulent use of product names and we preserve the good reputation of European agri-food and drink products. Geographical Indications protect local value at global level.” The study, based on product names protected under EU quality schemes across all Member States, concludes that the sales value of a product with a protected name is on average double that for similar products without a certification. To the list of more than 1,470 products that already benefit from such protection, the Commission adds today the Hungarian cheese “Győr-Moson-Sopron megyei Csemege sajt”. This new Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is a salted, porous cheese made from cow's milk, and known for its intense aromatic smell and taste due to the unique ripening flora used in its production. For more information, see the pages on quality policy and the eAmbrosia database. A full press release on the study published today is also available online.