New rules for the "Ceramic Tiles of Italy" mark

At the beginning of 2009 a new set of regulations was introduced to govern the “Ceramic Tiles of Italy” mark, first created in the 1970s by the then Assopiastrelle to promote Italian ceramic tiles worldwide.

Meeting last October, the Confindustria Ceramica executive board passed the implementing regulation that transformed it into a voluntary mark of origin for products.
It may be used under licence solely by member companies and exclusively for products manufactured in Italy.

This is the first time that an industrial sector has chosen to use a mark of origin to protect products made in Italian factories.
Along with the Italian origin of products, the mark also represents the other values that characterise Italian tiles: safeguarding of health in the workplace, elimination of all toxic materials and a constant commitment to sustainable development in terms of both the product and the manufacturing process.

Another new aspect is the fact that Confindustria Ceramica’s decision makes up for a shortcoming on the part of the European Union, which unlike in many other countries in the world has not yet passed legislation concerning the origin of goods placed on the market. This complements the association’s successful efforts within the ISO and CEN technical committees to ensure that the mark is also displayed on both the product and the packaging, a measure that must subsequently be approved by the various international organisations.