Contribution short abstract:

The paper analyses the EU Regulation 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft products and its prospective impact on the transmission of craft knowledge, providing insights into opportunities and practical difficulties craftspeople might face in formalising their craft.

Contribution long abstract:

A recent European Union Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft products is the first EU legislative act intended to specifically protect the results of creative activity in the field of crafts. For many years, geographical indications could be protected at the EU level for agricultural products only. The Regulation now offers craftspeople the opportunity to apply for registration and protection of their geographical indications used for craft products whose characteristics are due to their geographical origin.

The paper deals with the legal framework for registration and protection of geographical indications for craft products in view of the specifics of the situation in Latvia. In this context, the paper analyses some potential geographical indications that could be applied for registration under this Regulation from Latvia and discusses opportunities and practical difficulties craftspeople might face in formalising their sometimes 'unwritten' craft and thereby transmitting their craft knowledge in this new normative context. This includes considerations, such as the preparation of a product specification by paying particular attention to raw materials and territory, production method and possibilities to introduce and use new technologies in production, and the scope of protection and the treatment of a geographical indication as a collective right.

The paper is part of the research project Tracks4Crafts (Transforming crafts knowledge for a sustainable, inclusive and economically viable heritage in Europe, 2023-2027), financed by the European Union programme Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101094507).