Requirements for Obtaining the EU Label ‘Fire Wine’ and ‘Fire Product’ for Producers Contributing to Fire-Resilient Landscapes

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has approved the creation of FIRE WINE RESILIENT LANDSCAPE © and FIRE PRODUCT RESILIENT LANDSCAPE © certification mark, intended to recognise wineries and primary producers committed to proactive land management in the face of increasing wildfire risk.

This initiative arises in the context of a climate emergency and global warming, which have altered the behaviour and scale of wildfires and made it urgent to prioritise land stewardship in close coordination with the agricultural sector to shape landscapes that are prepared and resilient. Furthermore, wildfires -traditionally concentrated in the Mediterranean basin- are now spreading northward, increasing both their frequency and intensity.

The FIRE WINE network brings together agricultural producers from Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy. FIRE WINE is part of FIRE-RES, one of the European Commission’s flagship projects for the prevention of large-scale wildfires, coordinated by the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC).

The FIRE WINE initiative has registered two trademarks with EUIPO, valid across the entire European Union:

• FIRE WINE RESILIENT LANDSCAPE ©: aimed at the wine value chain.
• FIRE PRODUCT RESILIENT LANDSCAPE ©: aimed at other primary products (such as olive oil, fruit trees, truffles, vegetables, among others).

The project also foresees the possibility of group certification (for Designations of Origin, cooperatives of winegrowers and other producers, or territories).

Eligibility Requirements for EU Certification
To be eligible for the FIRE WINE RESILIENT LANDSCAPE © or FIRE PRODUCT RESILIENT LANDSCAPE © label, landholdings must meet a series of requirements related to location, land management practices, and infrastructure. For instance, parcels must meet minimum surface area criteria, be adjacent to forested zones or strategically located to slow fire spread or protect critical assets such as housing, transport corridors (motorways, railways), power infrastructure, or renewable energy facilities.

Precedents to the FIRE WINE / FIRE PRODUCT Certification
Over the past decade, international experts have developed the concept of the Fire-smart territory and proposed a Fire-smart product labelling system. A pioneering initiative in this vein already exists in Catalonia: Ramats de Foc, managed by the Pau Costa Foundation, which raises awareness of the key role that extensive livestock grazing plays in reducing biomass and mitigating wildfire risk.

The FIRE WINE initiative is part of the FIRE-RES project, which focuses on technological innovation and socio-ecological-economic solutions for wildfire-resilient landscapes across Europe. FIRE-RES is developing intervention models that support fire-adapted and fire-resilient landscapes, capable of withstanding and recovering from wildfire events while reducing associated losses. Specifically, the FIRE WINE action evaluates the societal benefits contributed by the wine sector value chain.

REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT

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