France’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) has accepted an application for protected geographical indication status for Morta, the fossilised wood found in the Brière marshes. Filed by the Association des artisans de la Morta en Brière (ABAM), it is the third application handled by INPI under the EU’s new geographical indication framework for craft and industrial products, after santons de Provence and espadrilles de Catalogne.
The rules have applied since 1 December 2025. INPI examines the national stage, while the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) is responsible for registration at EU level. Morta is a useful early test of how the new system may work for small, place-based craft sectors: acceptance opens the procedure, but the applicant group will still need to demonstrate a credible link with the territory, a shared product specification and workable limits on use of the name.
