European Joint Doctorate
Globalisation, Europe & Multilateralism - Sophistication of the Transnational Order, Networks, and European Strategies
Protecting Geographical Indications for Foods and Drinks: Few Tangible Benefits in Georgia
GEM-STONES Policy Briefs. AGORA Forum, March 2020
Executive Summary
Having failed to establish strong sui-generis regulation for Geographical Indications (GIs) on the global level, the EU increasingly includes not only the protection of EU GIs from counterfeits, but also aims to expand its system itself in bilateral agreements. Importantly, one dominant narrative in this expansion is that GIs are not only intellectual property rights, but rural development instruments that benefit especially small farmers. Yet, this brief demonstrates that in Georgia, where the implementation of the system was state- rather than producer-driven, these effects do not materialize. Rather, there are few observable economic benefits for rural areas, and only larger players protect their products with GIs.
This project receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 722826.