As regards the European Union, GIs regulations go back to 1992 covering agricultural and food products, wine, and spirits with the 2081/92 and 2082/92 Regulations of EEC (European Economic Community), which were replaced by the 510/06 and 509/06 regulations respectively, having the same extent as well as the same goal.
In 2008 new laws were established regarding the protection of PDO/PGI wines and GI spirits aiming to balance the registration, opposition and cancellation processes and were inspired by the legal framework applied to food and other agricultural products (Ref. Ares (2012)669394 – 06/06/2012).
Lastly, in 2012 a unified legal legislation on quality specifications was formed for all food and agricultural products (Council Regulation (EU) 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012).
Additionally, for the protection of wines the European Union applied specific regulations regarding quality schemes. Anyone interested in these regulations may find them at the link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/food-safety-and-quality/certification/quality-labels/quality-schemes-explained/regulations-wine_en
Specifically, the documents and regulations on wines, spirits, agriproducts and foodstuff, some of which (the newest) are presented there with chronological order are:
Table 1. Regulation and documents concerning GI products. The coloured rows refer to the regulations that apply at the moment for wines in the European Union
| No of document/ regulation | Concerns |
| 2019/34 | Applications for protection of designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms in the wine sector |
| 2019/33 | Supplements regulation 1308/2013 regarding applications for protection of designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms in the wine sector |
| 2018/273 (regulation) | Vine plantings, the vineyard register, accompanying documents and certification, the inward and outward register and compulsory declarations |
| No 251/2014 (Regulation (EU)) | Aromatised wines – GI. Definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91 |
| No. 1308/2013 (regulation) | Establishment of a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products, Wines – PDO and PGI |
| No. 1306/2013 (regulation) | Financing, management and monitoring of CAP (common agricultural policy) |
| No 1151/2012 (Regulation (EU)) | Agricultural products and foodstuffs – PDO, PGI. This is the unified legal legislation on quality specifications. |
| No. 606/2009 (regulation) | Rules governing categories of grapevine products, oenological practices and applicable restrictions |
| No 479/2008 (Council regulation (EC)) | Refers to wines. This regulation replaced Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999-17-5 on the common organisation of the market in wine: QWPSR and Table Wines with Geographical Indication) |
| No 110/2008 Regulation (EC) | This regulation deals with the definition, description, presentation, labelling and protection of GI of spirit drinks cancelling Council regulation (EEC) No. 1576/89. |
| No 787/2019 Regulation (EC) | This regulation replaced EC regulation 110/2008 |
| No. 555/2008 (regulation) | Implementation of EU regulation 479/2008 on the common organisation of the market in wine for support programmes, trade with third countries, production potential and controls in the wine sector |
| No. 510/2006 (Council Regulation (EC)) | Deals with the protection of GIs and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. (Art.2). Presents complete instructions of the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. This replaced Commission Regulations (EEC) No 2037/93 and (EC) No 383/2004), modified by Commission Regulation (EC) No 628/2008, which amends the Community symbols appearing in Annex V to Regulation No 1898/2006. |
| No 1898/2006 (Commission Regulation (EC)) | Presents detailed rules of implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs |
| No 2081/92 (Council Regulation (EEC)) | Refers to the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs. Has been replaced. |
The regulations for GIs can be found at the EUR-Lex European Union Law database at the following link: