The PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) mark certifies that a product comes from a specific place or region. It tell you that the product can is guaranteed by the quality, reputation or by other characteristic related to this geographical area and at that at least one of the production steps takes place in the defined geographical area.
Only those products that can prove consolidated and codified production tradition, an inseparable relation with the area of origin, a high qualitative level, certified by external bodies of control, may aspire to obtain and retain the inscription in European register of PGI products.
For this reason, the European Union dictates precise regulations for their safeguarding, providing for the institution of specific quality norms that protect consumers and provide producers with concrete instruments to better identify and promote products with specific characteristics and protect them from illegal practices
PDO and PGI products represent excellence in European food production and are both the result of a special combination of human and environmental quality that you can find in a certain geographical area: in Italy we have 299 PDI or PDO products from Balsamic Vinegar to Parmesan, from Pantelleria’s capers to Basil from Genoa used for pesto.
PGI emphasizes the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
Products
Food, agricultural products and wines
Specifications
For most products, at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the region. In the case of wine, this means that at least 85% of the grapes used have to come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is actually made.