The on-going development of the legal recognition of Geographical Indications throughout the world is mostly associated with expectations as to their various positive effects. Theoretical analysis largely supports such a relation, but mainly through activation of the certification device, which is supposed to create new guarantees for consumers and strengthen the capacity of producers for collective action and territorial development processes. However, in many cases, difficulties occur in implementing legal and institutional frameworks. External factors (supply chain configuration, market trends) may also create unfavourable conditions for the activation of the GI device. Without activation of the GI resource, only the effects related to registration can be expected. This situation leads us to question the choice of GI as a legal framework for traditional product recognition, the actual effects achieved from GI registration only and the factors that might facilitate the activation step.