Crevillent Carpets and Alicante Marble to Apply for Geographical Indication in 2025

From December 1, 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will open the application period for its new Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for artisanal and industrial products. This new designation opens up a myriad of possibilities in the province of Alicante, where up to nine groups could apply for this brand protection status.

The carpets of Crevillent and the marble of Alicante are the two most advanced industrial sectors in applying for this new PGI. Both hope to submit all the required documentation in this process before the end of the year. A process that, barring any objections and following the natural course of deadlines, could extend for almost a year at the very least.

In this way, both already recognized brands would obtain a quality seal essential for international positioning, protecting products against imitations or counterfeits, and boosting productivity and businesses. This is the belief of both sectors, which confirmed their intention to apply for the PGI before the end of 2025 at the Alicante business association headquarters this Tuesday.

In this regard, Encarni Abad, manager of Mármol Alicante, explained that "we have been following the PGI issue for more than six years and have the application in a very initial phase." Abad highlighted the "enthusiasm" for this protection of a "unique product" and indicates that the current process involves gathering all the information and historical milestones to submit the application.

For the manager of Mármol Alicante, the importance of having a PGI will translate into product protection against imitations or unfair competition: "We have unique materials, and with this brand, it will be very difficult for anyone to try to copy us or use our name on this product." Abad also confirms that the PGI will bear the name of the current association as it is a brand with a trajectory and confirms that they are working with the Generalitat to include their quarries in the province of Albacete.

In the case of Crevillent carpets, the Union of Carpet and Rug Manufacturers (Unifam) also confirms that they are in an "incipient phase" and intend to apply for protection by December when the application period opens. "We have had many conversations with the Generalitat, and we are currently in the initial phase of gathering information," explains Unifam president Eduardo Díaz.

Díaz highlighted Crevillent's role as an "industrial cluster" by having all production processes in carpet and rug manufacturing. Díaz indicates that there are currently 20 associated companies, and in the sector, counting all production processes, they amount to 40.

For the Unifam leader, the importance of Crevillent carpets lies in their "quality" and "internationally recognized positioning; our carpets and rugs are in the best hotels in the world." With exports of 22 million euros last year and a global activity of around 100 million euros, the sector highlights the key role played by internationalization and the assistance that the PGI would bring.

The Generalitat has emphasized the importance of this new designation for national projects and indicates that a system has been created "to accompany all sectors of the territory in this process," as stated by the Director General of Entrepreneurship and Internationalization, Ester Olivas, in statements to the media.

Olivas noted that associations and groups must work on drafting a set of conditions that acts as a "DNI" and advances that several sectors are working on creating this portfolio, although it is also necessary to have a predefined structure that assumes control of the PGI.

Regarding the application processes, the application opens on December 1, when it must be submitted to the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM), and later passed to the EUIPO. All these steps will have open objections against the name of the new PGI. Without any objections and following the established deadlines, the process would last almost a year, at the very least.