Jurisdiction(s):
European Union

EU geographical indications (PDO/PGI): international framework, 2024/1143 reforms, regimes for wine, spirits, agricultural and craft/industrial products, registration and opposition, enforcement, trade mark interplay, and the Geneva Act

Published by a LexisNexis EU Law expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note provides a concise overview of the legal safeguards available for geographical indications (GIs) and designations of origin, including appellations of origin, protected designations of origin (PDOs) and protected GIs (PGIs) under international and EU law. It explains the global framework grounded in the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement), alongside the protection afforded by EU regulations, with particular focus on the regimes applied to different product categories. It also outlines the enforcement routes open to rights holders, and finally reviews how appellations of origin, PDOs and PGIs interface with trade mark law. For guidance on GI protection under UK law, see Practice Note: Protection of geographical indications—UK.

International protection of geographical indications

Protection of GIs has been achieved through a range of mechanisms dating back to the 1883 Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. The Paris Convention recognised three distinct safeguards connected to a product’s provenance:

indications of source — these denote the geographical place where products originate but...

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Sara Balice

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Sara Balice is Of Counsel in the Intellectual Property department at Hebert Smith Freehills Kramer, based in Milan. For 20+ years Sara has been advising a wide range of leading domestic and multinational clients on their contentious and non-contentious IP needs, as well as on pharma regulatory matters. In particular, Sara advises on patents, trademarks, design, copyright, trade secrets and unfair competition matters. Sara is an experienced IP litigator, involved in complex multi-jurisdictional cases, where she frequently acts as lead coordinating counsel for multinational clients. Sara has also extensive experience in drafting and negotiating commercial/IP agreements. Her practice spans multiple industry sectors, from healthcare and life sciences, to consumer goods, fashion, TMT, industrial and automotive.Sara is recognized by international, Italian and IP-specific legal publications for both IP and Healthcare and Life Sciences. She is recommended by Legal 500 EMEA, Chambers Europe, WTR1000 and IAM Patent 1000, with...

Giulia Maienza

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Giulia Maienza is a Senior Associate in the Intellectual Property department at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, based in London and previously Milan. With over seven years of experience, Giulia specialises in contentious and non-contentious IP matters, advising international client, particularly in the TMT, fashion, consumer goods, and food sectors, on complex disputes involving patents, trademarks, GIs and designs across Italian, UK, and pan-European courts. Giulia’s expertise extends to transactional and strategic IP work, including licensing, technology transfer, and IP assignment agreements, as well as regulatory and privacy issues.She has played a key role in high-profile cases, such as leading trademark disputes for global sportswear brands, developing global IP strategies for major tobacco companies, and advising on cross-border design infringement and complex business reorganisations. Giulia has earned accolades such as the Europe Women Rising Star 2025 (Law.com), INTA Tomorrow’s Leader Award 2021, and Rising Star – IP...

Francesca Basto

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Francesca is Associate in the Intellectual Property department at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Milan. She mainly focuses on both contentious and non-contentious IP matters, advising clients on the protection and enforcement of valuable intellectual property rights across multiple industries, ranging from pharmaceutical and life sciences, design, fashion, TMT, consumer goods, media and advertising.Francesca is admitted to the Milan Bar as of June 2025.She graduated cum laude in law from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. During her studies, she spent a semester at the Université de Lausanne, as part of the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP), focusing on Intellectual Property law. She further gained practical experience through an internship at a Milan-based boutique law firm with a strong focus on intellectual property....

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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