Actes et contributions > Par intervenant > Marie D'avigneau Valérie

The new Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products: an additional mean to support sustainability.

FAO Conference “Innovations and traditions for sustainability”, Roma 18-21 February 2025

With Regulation (EU) 2023/2411, adopted on 18 October 2023, the European Commission has established an EU-wide system to protect geographical indications (GI) for craft and industrial (CI) products that could be a practical tool for sustainability.

As from December 2025, artisans and producers, particularly small businesses, will start filing applications to protect and promote names of their geographically linked craft and industrial products. This will help them combat counterfeiting and misuse of these names and increase authenticity for consumers. Overall, the new scheme will promote traditional know-how and the preservation of cultural heritage. It will also support economic diversification in remote and less-developed regions that are usually highly dependent on tourism. This legal tool is usually considered as particularly suitable to promote sustainable development in regions. In addition, it appears well suited to today's consumers who value responsible and ethical purchasing habits and show increasing interest to embrace sustainable tourism practices. 

The speaker will show how sustainability aspects are intrinsically part of the new EU scheme. He/She will particularly highlight that GIs usually, enhance the economic value of local products, preserve specific skills and cultural heritage, and guarantee higher quality and authenticity. In addition, GIs can be used as an effective tool to motivate producers to adopt environmentally sustainable practices to maintain the quality and reputation of their products. The risks of a GI having a negative impact on sustainability must not be overlooked and will also be discussed. On the whole, however, we can be confident that the hypothetical negative effects will be far outweighed by the benefits.