Logos for UK geographical indications revealed
The Government is introducing its own scheme for protecting geographical names of food, drink and agricultural products in the UK.
The logos are now available to download and can be used from 1st January 2021. All UK-based geographical indications (GIs) registered under the EU system at the end of the Brexit transition period will be protected under the new UK scheme.
The UK scheme, which will be managed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will be open to producers from the UK and other countries.
The UK schemes will protect the geographical names of:
- food, drink and agricultural products (including beer, cider and perry)
- spirit drinks
- wine
- aromatised wine
New logos
New UK GI logos are available to download and can be used from 1st January. They will identify products protected under the UK schemes.
There are three logos that mark each designation of GI:
- Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
- Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)
Producers or retailers of food and agricultural GI products produced and for sale in GB and registered before 1st January 2021, will have until 1st January 2024 to change packaging and marketing materials to display the new UK GI logos.
To protect a new product name in Northern Ireland producers will need to register it with the EU scheme.
Great British GI products that are protected in the EU can continue to use the EU logo in the UK, in addition to the UK logo, after the transition period.
GI protection will continue after 1st 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
Defra will publish further guidance for producers on how to apply to the UK and EU schemes at the end of the transition period.