The European Commission Approves the Registration of a Sixth List of Agricultural and Food Products

IP/98/58

Brussels, 21 January 1998

The European Commission approves the registration of a sixth list of agricultural and food products

The European Commission has adopted a regulation put forward by Mr Franz FISCHLER, Commissioner for Agriculture and rural development, to register 17 names of agricultural and food products under the Council of Ministers approved legislation for the Protection of Geographical Indications (PGI) and Designation of Origin (PDO). Those 17 products are produced in Germany (fresh meat), Italy (meat and meat products, fruit and olives), Greece (olive oil, fruit and vegetables) and the UK (cheese). They are added to the 440 indications already protected by five previous decisions. This registration implies that the use of those registered names is to be confined to producers in a particular area who comply with closely defined rules and criteria for the production of these particular products.

When a food product becomes well-known outside its area of origin, it may find itself competing in the marketplace with imitation products making use of the same name. This unfair competition not only undermines the efforts made by the producer or manufacturer to acquire the good name in the first place, it leaves consumers confused as to which product is genuine and which is a copy. All the Member States have tried to protect such designations by various means (trademark protection, "appellations d'origine", through the legal system, recognition as customary usage, etc.).

In 1992, the European Union introduced legislation on geographical indications and designations of origin in an attempt to harmonize this protection at Community level in the case of all food products other than wines and spirit drinks -already covered by earlier Community legislation - in order to bring some clarity to the market and protect the interests of producers and consumers.

The European Commission already adopted five lists of respectively 318, 64, 16, 17 and 251 products under the Regulation on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin. This decision added to this list another 17 products. The list includes products from Italy (9), Greece (5), Germany (2), and the United Kingdom (1). It covers one cheese, meat, olive oils and fruit and vegetables.

Annex : New list of geographical indications and designations of origin

1 SEE IP(96)492, IP (96)555, IP(97)46, IP(97)515 AND IP(97) 1030 ANNEX

PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION LISTED IN ANNEX II TO THE TREATY

Fresh meat (and offal) GERMANY − Diepholzer Moorschnucke (PDO) − Lüneburger Heidschnucke (PDO)

ITALY Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino Centrale (PGI)

Meat-based products ITALY − Soppressata di Calabria (PDO) − Capocollo di Calabria (PDO) − Salsiccia di Calabria (PDO) − Pancetta di Calabria (PDO)

Cheeses UNITED KINGDOM − Teviotdale Cheese (PGI)

Oils and fats Olive oil GREECE − Óçôåßá Ëáóéèßïõ ÊñÞôçò (Sitia-Lasithi-Crète) (PDO)1 − Áðïêïñþíáò ×áíßùí ÊñÞôçò (Apokoronas-Chania-Crète) (PDO)2

Fruit, vegetables and cereals ITALY − Pera mantovana (PGI) − Pera dell'Emilia-Romagna (PGI) − Pesca e Nettarina di Romagna (PGI) Table olives − Nocellara del Belice (PDO)

1 Protection of the name "Ëáóéèßïõ ÊñÞôçò" (Lasithi-Crète) is not sought.

22 Protection of the name "×áíßùí ÊñÞôçò" (Chania-Crète) is not sought.

2 GREECE − ÑïäÜêéíá ÍÜïõóáò (Rodakina de Naoussa) (PDO) − Öáóüëéá ãßãáíôåò åëÝöáíôåò ÊÜôù Íåõñïêïðßïõ (Fassolia Gigantes Elefantes de Kato Nevrokopi) (PGI) − Öáóüëéá êïéíÜ ìåóüóðåñìá ÊÜôù Íåõñïêïðßïõ (Fassolia koina Mesosperma de Kato Nevrokopi) (PGI)