For many customers both at home and abroad, “Made in Germany” has been a sign of the highest level of quality and German craftsmanship for decades. However, this term is not linked with any specific quality requirements and the criteria for the origin of the products are also mostly vague. In order for the term “Made in Germany” to be valid, the Federal Court of Justice declared some years ago that any services that are decisive for the quality or other important properties of a product must be performed in Germany.
RAL is now providing greater clarity with the new geographical origin label “Made in Germany” or “Hergestellt in Deutschland”. The criteria for the award of the label not only stipulate that the core service for the manufacture of the product is carried out in Germany but also define in detail which parts are manufactured in Germany and what this core service involves. In addition, products labelled with “Made in Germany” will have to meet specific requirements with respect to quality for the first time and compliance with these requirements will be monitored.
The new label is based on a RAL Registration. It indicates to consumers that a product actually delivers what “Made in Germany” promises because the term has now become a legally robust label of geographical origin for the first time. Companies benefit because they are able to differentiate themselves from foreign competitors. The holder of the first label is the Association of the German Furniture Industry. It is open to manufacturers from all sectors who want to apply to use the label for a product manufactured in Germany.
Further information and a fact sheet on this subject can be found here.
