Protecting food and drink names from 1 January 2021
What food and drink producers with ‘geographical indication’ (GI) protection need to know from 1 January 2021.
Rules from 1 January 2021
GI schemes protect the geographical names of food, drink and agricultural products.
The UK will set up its own geographical indication (GI) schemes which will fulfil its World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will:
- manage the UK schemes
- maintain the registers of protected product names
- process new applications
The UK schemes will protect the geographical names of:
- food, drink and agricultural products (including beer, cider and perry)
- spirit drinks
- wine
- aromatised wine
The new UK schemes will use these designations:
- Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
- Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)
The UK schemes will be open to producers from the UK and other countries.
Existing UK products
All existing UK products registered under the EU’s GI schemes by the end of the transition period will remain protected under the UK GI schemes.
Cross-border GIs
Registered GIs that can be produced anywhere on the island of Ireland, will continue to be fully protected in the UK and the EU. These include:
- Irish Whiskey
- Irish Cream
- Irish Poteen
New product applications
From 1 January 2021, producers will need to apply to the relevant:
- UK scheme to protect a new product name in Great Britain (GB)
- EU scheme to protect a new product name in Northern Ireland (NI) and the EU
GB producers will need to secure protection under the UK schemes before applying to the EU schemes.
NI producers do not need to secure protection under the EU schemes before applying to the UK schemes.
Defra will publish further guidance for producers on how to apply to the UK and EU schemes at the end of the transition period.
Use of UK GI logos on products and packaging
New UK GI logos are available to download and can be used from 1 January 2021. They will identify products protected under the UK schemes.
There are 3 logos that mark each designation of geographical indication (GI):
- Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
- Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)
PDO, PGI and TSG logos
Producers or retailers of food and agricultural GI products produced and for sale in GB and registered before 1 January 2021, will have until 1 January 2024 to change packaging and marketing materials to display the new UK GI logos.
Producers or retailers of food and agricultural GI products produced and for sale in GB and registered from 1 January 2021, must use the relevant UK logo on any product packaging or marketing materials as soon as the product is registered.
For producers or retailers of food and agricultural GI products in Northern Ireland, it will be:
- mandatory to continue using the EU logos when the product is on sale in Northern Ireland if the product is registered under the EU GI schemes
- optional to use the new UK GI logos if the product is registered under the UK GI schemes
The logos will remain optional for producers of wine and spirit GIs.
GI products that are protected in the EU can continue to use the EU logo in the UK after the transition period.
How to download the new logos
You can download a logo by:
- Selecting the logo you need:
- Choosing a logo file format, EPS, JPEG or PNG, to print the logo in colour or black and white.
If you use a printing company, copy and email the relevant zip file link to them.
Protection of UK GIs in the EU
From 1 January 2021 all UK GIs registered under the EU GI schemes by the end of the transition period should continue to receive protection in the EU.
Other EU protections
You can protect the intellectual property rights of your products in the EU by applying for either of the following:
International protection of UK GIs
GI protection will continue after 1 January 2021 for products currently named in:
- EU free trade agreements where the UK has signed a continuity agreement, for example the Andean Community, Chile and Switzerland
- other EU third country sectoral agreements where the UK has signed a continuity agreement
Updates to this page
Last updated 28 September 2020 + show all updates
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Added information about the new UK GI logos and when you should use them, how to secure protection for new products, and cross-border GIs.
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First published.