EU registers Olio dei Colli di Bologna as protected geographical indication

The European Commission has registered the Italian olive oil ‘Olio dei Colli di Bologna’ as a protected geographical indication (PGI), granting it EU-wide recognition and legal protection. The decision was adopted in Brussels on 9 September 2026 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series, 2026/2078) on 16 September 2026, under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2078.

The registration was carried out pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024, the Union’s framework for geographical indications covering wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products. The act was signed on behalf of the Commission President by Christophe Hansen, Member of the Commission.

A procedure without opposition

Italy’s application for the registration of ‘Olio dei Colli di Bologna’ was published in the Official Journal on 19 May 2026 (reference C/2026/2785), in accordance with Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. Following that publication, the Commission opened the statutory period for any interested party to lodge a statement of opposition under Article 17 of the same regulation.

• No statement of opposition was received by the Commission.
• The absence of objections cleared the way for the entry of the indication in the Union register.
• The register is the one referred to in Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.

Scope and entry into force

The geographical indication ‘Olio dei Colli di Bologna’ (PGI) is now formally entered in the Union register of geographical indications. The PGI status protects the name of the extra-virgin olive oil produced in the hills of Bologna, preventing its misuse or imitation anywhere in the European Union.

The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States, meaning producers in the Bologna hills can rely on the protection without any further national implementing measures.

What the protection means

With this registration, producers of ‘Olio dei Colli di Bologna’ gain exclusive rights to the name across the single market, reinforcing the link between the product and its geographical origin. The PGI designation also strengthens market recognition and consumer confidence, distinguishing the oil from generic products and supporting the economic value of the Bologna hills’ olive-growing tradition.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series 2026/2078, 16 September 2026 (official reference: CELEX 32026R2078).