Lightning in a bottle? Wine GIs and disruptive innovation

Abstract

The original paper, published in International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition & Springer Nature), “examines the intersection of innovation and tradition in the context of Geographical Indications (GIs) for wine, focusing on the transformative potential of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in viticulture. GIs signal prove- nance, whilst requiring a commitment to traditional production methods. However, viticulture in the EU today faces several challenges, including climate change, increasing competition from New World wine producers, and shifting consumer preferences. Innovation is an important resource for meeting these challenges. NGTs, exemplified by CRISPR technology, enable precise genetic modifications to promote traits such as disease resistance while preserving the genetic identity of traditional grape varieties. They hold out the promise of reconciling innovation with tradition. The European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (COM(2023) 411 final) could pave the way for their adoption across the wine sector. However, the adoption of NGTs within this sector raises complex regulatory, legal, and socio-economic questions. The novel contribution of the study is to analyse the compatibility of NGTs with the European Union’s strict GI regulations, considering public perception challenges related to biotechnology, and implications for wine typicity and varietal diversity. In bridging the domains of GIs, biosafety regulation, and agricultural innovation, this study identifies the challenges to be overcome by the EU wine sector when seeking to reconcile its deep-rooted traditions with the radical potential of NGTs” (Vives-Vallés & Gangjee, 2025, p. 1141). This communication will provide an updated overview of the matter, by addressing the main developments and challenges encountered in the legislative process and the evolution of the academic debate, as well as further insights on the questions raised in the original paper, including the foreseeable implications for GI protected wines.

References

Vives-Vallés, J. A., & Gangjee, D. S. (2025). Lightning in a Bottle? Wine GIs and Disruptive Innovation. IIC – International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 56, 1141–1170, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-025-01605-5

Funding

Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Research stays by Assoc. Prof. J. A. Vives-Vallés, at the premises of the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre – OIPRC (University of Oxford) which allowed the cooperation between the authors, were possible thanks to the support from the TED2021-129992A-I00 research project (“funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR” and led by Vives- Vallés) and from a Fellowship granted to Vives-Vallés under the OECD CRP 2022 Fellowships. This paper has been produced within the framework of a research co-operation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre (OIPRC) of the University of Oxford, and the Agro-enviromental and Water Economy Research (INAGEA) of the University of the Balearic Islands” (Vives-Vallés & Gangjee, 2025, p. 1162). See also CPVO: https://cpvo.europa.eu/en/news-and-events/news/reconciling-innovation-and-tradition-european-viticulture-open-access-article.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this document and the paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CPVO or any EU institution or body.