Protection of Autochthonous Products

Learn how to protect autochthonous products at the national and EU level

Due to its specific geographical position, natural and climate conditions, as well as its rich culture and tradition, the Republic of Croatia offers a large number of autochthonous food products that successfully compete on the Croatian market and constitute our gastronomic offer on the basis of their quality and uniqueness owing to their technological, nutritional and organoleptic features.

Many of them have become recognizable, as well as the geographical areas in which they are produced.
 

Benefits of Registration

Products are protected for the following reasons:

• a higher price category
• creating identity and recognizability
• directly connecting a product with a certain geographical area provides added value and recognizability to that area, and contributes to rural development
• establishment of interest associations, if such association does not already exist, for the purpose of jointly entering the market, i.e. joint promoting a food product.

National-Level Protection 

The application is submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture.

You can read more about the protection procedure on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture

Procedure for the Protection of Designations of Origin, Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed.

The website of the Ministry of Agriculture also contains all the necessary national-level application forms.
 

EU-Level Protection

After the name of the product has been protected in the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Agriculture submits the documentation required for the registration of the indication at the EU level to the European Commission.

You can read more about the protection procedure at the EU level on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture

Registration Procedure at the EU Level.