Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

PDO may be used for agricultural products or foodstuffs originating in a specific territory (region, specific place or, in exceptional cases, country) where the quality or characteristics of the products or foodstuffs are exclusively or predominantly determined by the specific geographical environment with its characteristic natural and human factors, and where the production, processing and preparation of such goods takes place in the defined territory.

Subject of PDO registration

The designation "Protected Designation of Origin" may be used for products and foodstuffs defined by Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed, and on optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (hereinafter referred to as "Regulation (EU) 2024/1143").

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/26 of October 30, 2024, laying down rules for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2024/1143 as regards registrations, amendments, cancellations, enforcement, labeling, and notifications in relation to geographical indications and traditional specialties guaranteed, and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/34 as regards geographical indications in the wine sector and repealing Implementing Regulations (EU) No 668/2014 and (EU) 2021/1236.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of October 30, 2024, supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2024/1143 on rules concerning the registration and protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 665/2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No. 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the conditions for the use of the optional quality term "mountain product."

Act No. 452/2001 Coll., on the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications, as amended.

The list of protected names can be found in the eAmbrosia database on the European Commission's website: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/. This database contains information on the registration process, whether the names are registered, published or already registered.

Application for registration of a PDO designation

Protected designations are recorded in the register. Only a producer group, which is an association of producers of the same product whose name is proposed for registration, regardless of its legal form, may apply for registration. If the conditions of Article 9(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 are met, an individual producer may also be considered an applicant.

Special rules apply to producer groups concerning geographical indications for spirits. The requirements for an application for registration of a PDO are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2025/26, and also in Act No. 452/2001 Coll.

The registration procedure is initiated at the level of the Member State and concluded by a decision of the European Commission. Applications for registration, including the necessary requirements, are submitted to the Industrial Property Office, Čermáka 2a, 160 68 Prague 6, which will ensure that the application is reviewed for factual accuracy and allow authorized persons from the Czech Republic to comment on the application. It then forwards the application to the European Commission for a final decision. The Commission initiates an assessment procedure, which, according to the applicable legislation, should not exceed six months. If the Commission considers the application to be justified, it publishes an abridged version of the product specification in the Official Journal of the European Union. Within three months of publication, objections to the registration may be lodged by other Member States and third countries. If the Commission receives no objections (or if the objections lodged are not admissible), it will enter the name in the "Register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications."

Control of the use of PDO designations

Producers who use protected designations are subject to regular checks to verify compliance with the production conditions set out in the specification. These checks are carried out by state authorities, i.e. the Czech Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority and the State Veterinary Administration. The costs of the checks are paid by the users of the protected designation.

Verification of compliance with specifications

Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 requires economic operators wishing to participate in activities covered by the product specification of a geographical indication to notify the competent control authorities.

Notifications can be made using the form published on the CAFIA website.

Verification of compliance with the specification prior to placing the product on the market shall be carried out, in the case of products bearing a PDO, by the control authorities designated by the Member State. The costs of this verification shall be borne by the economic operators concerned by these controls.

Protection of geographical indications

Geographical indications registered in the EU register are protected against any direct or indirect commercial use on products not covered by the registration and against any misuse, imitation, or evocation. They are also protected against any other practices that could mislead consumers as to the true origin of the product.

Protection of geographical indications in the online space

Any information relating to the advertising, promotion, and sale of products that contravenes the protection of geographical indications is considered illegal content within the meaning of Article 3(h) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Regulation). The protection also applies to geographical indications in domain names.

Information for consumers

Products with protected names provide consumers with a guarantee of certain quality and tradition. Before these names are entered in the register, they undergo a detailed examination of the validity of the application for registration.

For agricultural products with a protected name, the protected name must be accompanied by the relevant Union symbol and the producer's identification in a single field of vision. For spirits, the producer's identification is mandatory, while the Union symbol is voluntary.

Registered PDO designations

The Czech Republic currently has the following PDOs registered:

• Všestarská cibule (Všestary onion), (Single document including specification)
• Chamomilla bohemika (Bohemian chamomile), (Single document including specification)
• Český kmín (Czech caraway), (Single document including specification)
• Nošovické kysané zelí (Nošovice sauerkraut), (Single document including specification)
• Pohořelický kapr (Pohořelice carp), (Single document including specifications)
• Žatecký chmel (Žatec hops). (Single document including specifications)

Please note that the specifications available on this website may not correspond to the current version of the officially adopted text. It is always necessary to take into account the current wording of the legal regulation published in the Official Journal of the European Union.