Pag lace and Brač stone will receive protection at a global level

The European Parliament has just supported, with 608 votes in Strasbourg, the recommendation to “expand protected geographical indications to handmade traditional products in order to preserve local cultural heritage and stimulate growth.” This was a proposal from the Committee on Legal Affairs, which calls on the Commission to propose a unified European system of geographical indications for non-agricultural products as soon as possible, such as our Pag lace and Brač stone.

Member of Parliament Tonino Picula spoke in April this year about the need to expand this designation at the plenary session and subsequently sent a priority question to the European Commission. He warned that “producers of Pag lace and Brač stone and stonemasonry suffer significant material damage because they are only protected at the regional or national level, with legal frameworks that are inconsistent between member states.” At that time, Picula also called for the expansion of the geographical indication to traditional non-agricultural products so that authentic products that have existed in our culture for hundreds of years are adequately protected at the EU level just like, for example, Krk prosciutto, Lika potatoes, and Baranja kulen.

Today’s vote also adopted an important amendment by MP Picula, in which he requested, in the context of negotiations on TTIP, that “trade agreement negotiations include open lists of all products (agricultural and non-agricultural) protected by geographical indications, so that Pag lace and Brač stone become part of future EU trade agreements with non-member countries.”

“This amendment is particularly important for Croatian products because, by including open lists, it also applies to products that are yet to be protected by geographical indications. Croatia is the youngest member of the Union and our products are still in the process of obtaining protection. By expanding the geographical indication protection to non-agricultural products such as Pag lace and Brač stone, their recognizability and market value will increase, and thus their sales. It will also enable more transparent information for consumers about the quality of the products they purchase,” concluded MP Tonino Picula after the vote.