Protection of regional products
You can protect regional products (agricultural products or food) in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
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Regional products include Gorgonzola, Jambon d'Ardenne (Ardennes ham) and Mozzarella. Examples from the Netherlands include Opperdoezer Ronde (potatoes), Westlandse Druif (grapes) and Basterdsuiker (brown sugar).
A protected regional product must stay within the requirements of the production method, the product composition and geographical origin. The product specification describes these requirements.
Any person who makes the same product following the rules in the product specification can use the protected name.
Note: this protection differs from a trademark, where the trademark owner can only use the trademark.
The protection only applies within the EU, and the application is free.
You can apply for registration of a regional product through the Adviescommissie geografische aanduidingen – AGOS (Advisory Committee on Geographical Indications). The Netherlands Entreprise Agency (RVO) is the secretariat for the Adviescommissie.
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- Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
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