Kölsch Receives European PGI Protection

On November 25, 1997, Kölsch became a Protected Geographical Indication under European law. Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2325/97, adopted on November 24 and published the following day, added Kölsch to the European register of protected geographical indications and designations of origin. Because the regulation entered into force on the day of publication, November 25 is the strongest exact date for the event. The registration extended the regional protection developed through the Kölsch Convention into a directly applicable European legal framework. Within the European Union, Kölsch was protected not merely as a generic name for any pale, top-fermented beer, but as a registered geographical indication associated with Germany and its approved product specification. The protection connected the beer’s recognized characteristics and geographical origin with enforceable rules governing commercial use of the name.