site.btaShumen Municipality to Promote EU-Wide Geographical Indication Protection for Local Craft, Industrial Products

Shumen Municipality will launch an informational campaign to raise awareness among local producers about the opportunity to protect the geographical indications of their handmade and industrial products, the local administration’s press centre said on Tuesday.

The municipal initiative comes as a result of an upcoming EU regulation, which will introduce a unified registration system for geographical indications, set to take effect on December 1, 2025. From that date, local producers will be able to register the names of their craft and industrial products for protection across the European Union.

To apply, producers must form an association and develop a detailed specification outlining the product’s origin, place and date of creation, production method, and specific characteristics that make it unique. According to the National Administrative Board of the Republic of Bulgaria, eligible products must meet three criteria: they must originate from a specific location, their quality must be primarily linked to that origin, and at least one stage of production must occur in the designated area.

Shumen Municipality will notify regional craft chambers and producers of craft and industrial products in writing, encouraging them to explore the benefits of the new regime, which include the right to use the official EU label, enhanced legal protection, quality control mechanisms, greater international recognition, regional development advantages, as well as increased consumer confidence.

The regulation aims to safeguard and promote Europe’s cultural heritage in the craft and industrial sectors, while improving the visibility and credibility of traditional products tied to specific regions.

The new regulation will also require re-registration of all existing national-level geographical indications. Current protections will expire on December 2, 2026, unless re-registered under the EU system.