Europe shares its regional wines and spirits, which honor the ancient flavors of European cultural heritage, wine-making or distilling traditions, and maintain geographical origin links under the quality systems of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).
The EU protected food origin scheme covers regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed. The EU will only give a product the PGI mark if they decide it has a reputation, characteristics or qualities that are a result of the area it’s associated with. A biggest part of geographical indications are related to wines and spirits.
PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)
The EU definition of a PGI product is one closely linked to the geographical area in which it is produced, processed or prepared, and which has specific qualities attributable to that geographical area.
PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) – is the highest quality standard of protected indications.
According to the EU rules, PDO products are produced, processed and prepared in a given relatively small geographical area, using recognized know-how technologies. Their quality and properties are significantly or exclusively determined by their environment, in both natural and human factors.
Registered indications shall be protected against:
1. any direct or indirect commercial use of a registered name in respect of products not covered by the registration where those products are comparable to the products registered under that name or where using the name exploits the reputation of the protected name, including when those products are used as an ingredient;
2. any misuse, imitation or evocation, even if the true origin of the products or services is indicated or if the protected name is translated or accompanied by an expression such as ‘style’, ‘type’, ‘method’, ‘as produced in’, ‘imitation’ or similar, including when those products are used as an ingredient;
3. any other false or misleading indication as to the provenance, origin, nature or essential qualities of the product that is used on the inner or outer packaging, advertising material or documents relating to the product concerned, and the packing of the product in a container liable to convey a false impression as to its origin;
4. any other practice liable to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product.
Protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications shall not become generic.
Control
All European countries take appropriate administrative and judicial steps to prevent or stop the unlawful use of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications. To that end Member States shall designate the authorities that are responsible for taking these prevention steps in accordance with set procedures. These authorities shall offer adequate guarantees of objectivity and impartiality, and shall have at their disposal the qualified staff and resources necessary to carry out their functions.
Assortment:
• Original Lithuanian vodka – vodka
• Trauktinė – spirit drink
• Trejos devynerios – bitter
• Bulgarian wines from Thracian lowlands
Legal information:
Regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products
Contacts:
info@bgleaders.com
production@mvgroup.eu (Lithuanian spirits)
niforou@oinorama.bg (Bulgarian wines)