BRUSSELS – The European Union’s highest court has said
the name of feta cheese was a traditional Greek name and deserved
protection throughout the EU, siding with Greece against Germany and
Denmark.
BRUSSELS – The European Union’s highest court has said the name of feta cheese was a traditional Greek name and deserved protection throughout the EU, siding with Greece against Germany and Denmark.
The court followed the advice of its advocate general and backed the argument that “feta” meets the requirements of a designation of origin in that it describes a cheese originating from a substantial part of Greece, whose characteristics derive from its geographical environment and its production, processing and preparation are carried out in a defined area.
After a 13-year dispute, the EU head office gave Greece exclusive rights to the name for the salty white cheese in 2002, only to see Denmark and Germany challenge the decision in court.
In its ruling, the Luxembourg European Court of Justice said Denmark and Germany had not provided sufficient arguments to prove the European Commission wrong.
“The court upholds the name ‘feta’ as a protected designation of origin for Greece,” it said in a statement.
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