On 8 April, João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), met with Latvian craftsmen in Riga to discuss a new European Union (EU) Geographical Indications (GI) registration procedure for craft and industrial products.
The meeting, which was one of the events marking the 105th anniversary of the Latvian Patent Office (LPO), took place at the Small Guild, and representatives of the Latvian National Centre for Culture, as well as of various craft sectors from Jūrmala, Sigulda, and Līvāni were invited to it.
Mr. Negrão and experts from the LPO introduced the craftsmen to the requirements of new system that producers and craftsmen will have to comply with in order to obtain GI protection for their products.
The conversation with the Latvian craft and industrial sector on the new GI system will continue on 12 June in Mālpils at the 7th Latvian Rural Communities Parliament’s discussion on the role of GIs as a prerequisite for rural economic development and the preservation of culture and traditions. During this discussion, it is planned to highlight strategic opportunities for increasing the added value of local production through the use of protected GI names.
Craftsmen and producers, as well as their representatives, have been invited to the discussion in Mālpils to discuss the new possibilities in an informal atmosphere, as from 1 December 2025, craftsmen and producers in Latvia and throughout the EU will be able to apply for GI registration to protect their authentic local products.
These possibilities arise from Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 on the protection of geographical indications of craft and industrial products and amending Regulations (EU) 2017/1001 and (EU) 2019/1753 (GI Regulation), which provides for the introduction of a uniform EU-level system for the protection of craft and industrial products, similar to what already exists for food and agricultural products.
On 22 April, the Cabinet of Ministers supported amendments to the Trademark Law and the Law on Industrial Property Institutions and Procedures to ensure the introduction of the EU uniform registration system for GIs for craft and industrial products in Latvia.
Potential benefits of the new GI protection system for producers and craftsmen include:
- Preservation of traditional knowledge and skills – an instrument for preserving traditional production methods, knowledge and skills and transferring them to future generations;
- Generation of added value by promoting fair competition in the market;
- Improved market positioning and visibility – a support provided for products to stand out in the market, promoting their visibility and differentiation from mass-produced products;
- Enhanced cooperation and collective marketing opportunities – the opportunities bring together producers in the region, enhancing cooperation in marketing and product promotion (enabling smaller producers to reach a wider audience);
- Protection against counterfeiting and imitation - the unified system will provide stronger legal protection against counterfeit products that mislead consumers and damage the reputation and revenues of producers of authentic products. This will help preserve the uniqueness and value of the product;
- Access to new markets - clearly defined and protected GIs can open doors to new markets both inside and outside the EU, as consumers increasingly appreciate authentic and regionally unique products.