EU Food Quality Policy: Geographical Indications

Over the past decades, the EU Common Agricultural Policy has increasingly shifted away from being production support focused towards being market and consumer driven. The EU food quality policy fits within this new paradigm and aims to provide farmers with instruments to compete under conditions of increasing market liberalisation. This chapter focuses on the EU policy for the protection of Geographical Indications in the food sector, an integral part of the EU food quality policy. A brief historical recollection of the steps that have led to the current EU food quality policy is followed by a description of the current policy framework for Geographical Indications in the EU and their treatment in multilateral agreements.