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Designations of origin in Europe
How many products hold a designation of origin in Europe? The European Union's official register, eAmbrosia, protects 3,711 names: 1,956 PDOs, 1,490 PGIs and 265 spirit drink geographical indications. The full map, country by country, is below.
Registrations by country in the EU scheme (3,437)
| Country | PDO | PGI | Spirit GI | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 585 | 267 | 35 | 887 |
| France | 479 | 241 | 50 | 770 |
| Spain | 218 | 156 | 19 | 393 |
| Greece | 115 | 153 | 14 | 282 |
| Portugal | 99 | 97 | 11 | 207 |
| Germany | 31 | 112 | 33 | 176 |
| Hungary | 44 | 30 | 15 | 89 |
| Romania | 42 | 27 | 9 | 78 |
| Bulgaria | 56 | 4 | 12 | 72 |
| Croatia | 38 | 26 | 6 | 70 |
| Austria | 38 | 9 | 8 | 55 |
| Czechia | 17 | 26 | 0 | 43 |
| Slovenia | 22 | 16 | 4 | 42 |
| Poland | 9 | 26 | 2 | 37 |
| Slovakia | 14 | 17 | 2 | 33 |
| Netherlands | 15 | 17 | 0 | 32 |
| Belgium | 11 | 17 | 4 | 32 |
| Sweden | 14 | 12 | 3 | 29 |
| Cyprus | 9 | 15 | 1 | 25 |
| Finland | 5 | 9 | 2 | 16 |
| Lithuania | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Denmark | 1 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Ireland | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Latvia | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Malta | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Luxembourg | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Estonia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| More than one country (cross border) | 7 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
Non EU countries with registered names (274)
| Country | PDO | PGI | Spirit GI | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4 | 99 | 7 | 110 |
| United Kingdom | 32 | 44 | 2 | 78 |
| Türkiye | 31 | 15 | 0 | 46 |
| Thailand | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Norway | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Indonesia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| India | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Cambodia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Other 16 countries | 5 | 7 | 4 | 16 |
The 20 most famous names and their registration year
| Protected name | Country | Type | Product | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne | France | PDO | Sparkling wine | 1973 |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | Italy | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Grana Padano | Italy | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Roquefort | France | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Gorgonzola | Italy | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Mozzarella di Bufala Campana | Italy | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Comté | France | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Feta | Greece | PDO | Cheese | 2002 |
| Queso Manchego | Spain | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Queijo Serra da Estrela | Portugal | PDO | Cheese | 1996 |
| Prosciutto di Parma | Italy | PDO | Ham | 1996 |
| Aceto Balsamico di Modena | Italy | PGI | Vinegar | 2009 |
| Prosecco | Italy | PDO | Wine | 2009 |
| Chianti | Italy | PDO | Wine | 1973 |
| Barolo | Italy | PDO | Wine | 1973 |
| Rioja | Spain | PDO | Wine | 1986 |
| Porto / Port | Portugal | PDO | Wine | 1991 |
| Tokaj / Tokaji | Hungary | PDO | Wine | 2006 |
| Cognac | France | GI | Spirit | 1989 |
| Scotch Whisky | United Kingdom | GI | Spirit | 1989 |
What PDO, PGI and TSG mean
The European register splits protected names into three seals. PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) is the strictest: every production step, from ingredient to finish, happens in the region of origin, as with Parmigiano Reggiano and Roquefort. PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) requires at least one production stage in the region. Spirit drinks such as Cognac and Scotch Whisky carry their own geographical indication seal. And TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) protects recipe and method rather than geography: Pizza Napoletana, a TSG since 2010, can be made anywhere as long as it follows the registered recipe. The current picture: 1,956 PDOs, 1,490 PGIs, 265 spirit GIs and 72 registered TSGs.
Parmigiano is protected, parmesan is not
Inside the European Union, only cheese made in the zone of origin, in Emilia-Romagna and its surroundings, may be called Parmigiano Reggiano, a PDO registered in 1996. The EU Court of Justice ruled in 2008 that even the translated name Parmesan evokes the designation and is reserved for the original cheese. Outside the EU, protection depends on local deals or registration: in Brazil, for example, parmesao remains a generic style name, which is why a Brazilian supermarket can sell local parmesan but not a Parmigiano Reggiano that does not come from Italy.
Champagne versus sparkling wine
Every champagne is a sparkling wine, but in the EU only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can use the name, which has been on the European register since 1973. Brazil recognizes it too: the INPI registered Champagne as a Designation of Origin in 2012, as shown in the Geographical Indications of Brazil archive. The bridge runs both ways: the only Brazilian name on the European register is Vale dos Vinhedos, a wine PDO since 2007.
What else the map tells
Italy and France add up to 1,657 registrations, 45% of everything Europe protects. The register also accepts outside countries: China (110 names), the United Kingdom (78, including Scotch Whisky) and Turkiye (46) lead the 274 third country registrations. One entire slice of the archive is cheese alone: 272 protected cheeses, listed on the cheeses with designation of origin page.
Source: eAmbrosia, the European Commission's official register of geographical indications (names with registered status). Snapshot of July 2026. This site is independent and not affiliated with the European Commission.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources