«In Crevillent we can boast of being the only municipality in the world that is dedicated to all the processes of making a carpet, with companies dedicated to design, spinning, weaving, dyeing or finishing.» That is, at least, what Eduardo Díaz, executive president of Unifam, defends, the association that brings together the manufacturers of rugs, carpets and coverings from Crevillent (Alicante), a town that documents its craft of braiding reeds since 1411. The Crevillentina rug is the first Spanish product that has requested its identification as an artisanal or industrial Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in Spain, according to the records of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office. (OEPM). It is the initial procedure that must be completed to end up protected by the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which since December 1 has expanded the protection of this market in the European community. Díaz trusts that this new system will provide them with “protection to avoid copies and falsifications,” and will help them “promote the establishment of manufacturing processes” both in Europe and in third countries with free trade agreements. That is also the intention of the EUIPO, according to Elisa Zaera, director of the business operations department of the European office based in Alicante. With this measure that unifies legal protection in all EU countries, “we are going to protect the intellectual property rights of a name linked by reputation, characteristics, tradition or human factors to a specific origin,” he says. In the opinion of the entity, this will have an impact on “economic growth, the creation of jobs, the incentive for generational change and even tourism promotion” of the products linked to each PGI. The figure of the protected designation of origin (DOP) is not enabled because, in that case, even the raw materials must come from the same geographical environment. Support seems essential for a sector apparently in regression. Although it has not been received with the same enthusiasm by the two sectors involved. The carpets, like the furniture from Yecla (Murcia), which have also shown interest, use machinery for their manufacture, a circumstance that is not relevant for their classification as PGI as long as “their reputation and quality are related to a specific geographical area,” says Zaera. In the purely manufacturing part, such as the white palm of Elche (Alicante), which will also be nominated for protection, is where doubts arise. “The IGP does not protect artisanal activities, but rather those that are linked to a territory,” warns Félix Sanz, manager of the Federation of Artisan Organizations of Castilla y León (Foacal). In this way, “a Valencian musical instrument manufacturer does not fit into the model, 99% of our production is left out,” he exemplifies. “I don’t know if disappointment is the right word,” he declares, “but at the very least, it falls far short.” In his opinion, he sticks to products, when “he should focus on processes and authorship”, keys to defining his work. Foacal, precisely, has just published the White Paper on European crafts, which is the latest and exhaustive review of this industry for which the Ministry of Industry and Tourism is preparing a study carried out by the Fundesarte foundation that will be published in 2026. According to 2014 data managed by the Castilian and Leonese federation, «in Spain there were an estimated 38,577 craft companies and 104,000 direct jobs» although, The document warns, “this figure has decreased in the last decade due to the economic crisis, the aging of the sector and the lack of generational change.” Also “the average size” of firms in the sector has been reduced, even down to self-employment units, with a lot of female representation. A variable that «entails advantages such as flexibility or customization, but also challenges such as less access to financing, less export capacity and low participation in support programs for SMEs.» The conclusions of the International Craft Congress, held in León last June, also reflect that «a large part of craft activity is concentrated in rural areas and small cities», where «it represents a key tool for population establishment, cultural transmission and sustainable territorial development.» Finally, he points out the need for artisans to adapt to «the structural changes that the European economy is going through», such as «digitalization, responsible consumption, the entry of new professional profiles and productive relocation.» Although technology can also favor its growth. “If we expand the sector concept to include activities such as heritage restoration, graphic, fashion, product and advertising design, the profile of the sector changes substantially,” they say. “These activities should be understood as artisanal due to their non-industrial production, strong creative component, personalization, cultural or aesthetic connection, and because they are part of artistic and traditional crafts.” In this way, both basket weaving and the creation of video games, for example, would fall into the same bag. “It is the first thing that should be done in our sector,” Sanz emphasizes, “to define exactly what we are talking about when we talk about craftsmanship.”
Value chains
“All these activities are also carried out in micro-enterprises, with self-employed workers or in small business structures,” the White Paper continues. “The expansion of the sectoral perimeter would allow the current figures in number of companies and jobs to be doubled or even tripled.” The figures are eloquent. «In Spain it could be estimated between 90,000 and 120,000 companies and between 250,000 and 300,000 jobs if these sectors are included, where they also have a higher proportion of young people, women and profiles with higher education.» A fact that “multiplies by three the jobs assigned to the sector in the surveys” carried out by Industry. “In addition,” they continue, “the presence of the sector in value chains such as tourism, the fashion industry, cultural services, heritage education, product innovation and digitalization would be intensified,” which would strengthen “the vindication of the strategic role of the craft sector within the European creative economy, as well as its integration into public policies linked to culture, sustainability, youth employment and innovation.”
