Traditional crafts from French Limoges porcelain to Irish Donegal tweed became entitled to EU protected status as of Monday -- on a par with agricultural products from Champagne to Parma ham.

Europe's glassblowers, potters, jewellers and more will be able to register their product names under the bloc's new geographical indication (GI) scheme for craft and industrial goods, extending the well-established system used for food and drink.

Under a law adopted in 2023 and taking effect December 1, the system offers protection for "iconic goods such as Bohemian glass, Limoges porcelain, Solingen knives and Donegal tweed, whose reputation and quality stem from their place of origin", the European Commission said.

Geographical indications are intellectual property rights that link a product's q

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