Effectively, at the beginning of the year 2025 the European register15 lists only 66 TSGs belonging to Member States16, 4 of which are Italian: Vincigrassi alla Maceratese TSG, coexisting with Colli Maceratesi DOC (wine); Amatriciana Tradizionale STG, coexisting with Prosciutto Amatriciano DOP; Pizza Napoletana STG, coexisting with Pomodoro Pelato Napoletano DOP; Mozzarella Tradizionale STG, sold on the same market where Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP and Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle DOP are also present. In the first three cases, the TSG includes a geographical term, which constitutes the designation of origin of a food or wine. In contrast, 669 PDOs of the Member States17 (of which 174 Italian) and 841 PGIs18 (150 Italian) are registered in the same period. The third purpose is to illustrate the current discipline on TSGs (at the moment still awaiting the additions that the Commission will be able to make, having been given wide powers of delegated regulation19), highlighting the main differences with respect to that envisaged for indications of origin. II. TSG DISCIPLINE: THE ABANDONMENT OF THE “SPECIFICITY” REQUIREMENT IN FAVOUR OF MERE TRADITION AS AN INTRINSIC VALUE Nowadays tradition, characterising the production methods or recipes of TSG products, is the only element justifying the special protection conferred on their names, since the need for these products to have their own “specificity” (a requirement that was predominant in the past) has now lost all relevance. In other words: today tradition is valuable by itself, whereas previously – at least in regulatory terms – it was valued, but only if its observance made it possible to realize products with special characteristics. As a result of the various amendments to the legislation under review, therefore, the requirement of “specificity” first faded and then disappeared completely., Let us see how this happened. 15 https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/tsg 16 In addition, there are 4 TSGs registered by the United Kingdom. There are currently 3 applications pending for recognition of TSGs, 2 of which have been filed by Turkey (one for “Denizli Tandır Kebabı” and the other for “Türk Kahvesi / Turkish Coffee”) and 1 by Guinea (“Fleur de sel / Flower of salt / Salt flower / Flor de sal / Fior di sale / Solvni cvet / cvijet Soli / Salzblume / ανθό αλατιού / Zoutbloemen”). 17 In addition, there are 62 PDOs belonging to third countries. 18 In addition, there are 162 PGIs belonging to third countries. 19 Reg. (EU) No 2012/1151, cited above, recital 77, second indent. 332 ERMENEGILDO MARIO APPIANO
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