03. PGI cheeses

The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) defends is a way of determining the origin of a product, and defends its geographical name.

The PGI is a sign of European identification created in 1992. Attributed to specific products carrying the name of a geographical area and linked to their geographical origin, the PGI protects such products throughout the European Union.
‘The PGI constitutes the name of a region, a determined place, or in exceptional circumstances, a country which defines an agricultural product or a foodstuff’:
- which originates from this region, determined place or country and,
- which has a determined quality and characteristics attributed by the geographical area, and
- oh which the production and/or transformation and/or elaboration take place in a determined, specific geographical area.

From the 1st January 2007, an IGP  was no longer necessary coupled with a Red Label or a ‘Certificate de Conformité Produit’ (CCP).
The PGI is managed by the Institute National de l’Origine et de la Qualité’ (INAO).
This classification is for those (producers etc) who are interested in the protection of a specific product which carries a geographical name.