By Bruno Waterfield - 24th October 2005
Feta is a Greek cheese, the EU courts have ruled against Denmark, Germany, France and the UK.
The European Court of Justice has backed a three-year old Brussels decision that ‘feta’ is not a generic term for a white cheese soaked in brine.
“The name enjoys community-wide protection as it is reserved exclusively for cheese originating in Greece,” said a statement.
In order for to be become a ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ (PDO), feta has been identified as uniquely Greek and not a generic cheese, such as cheddar.
“[Feta is] from a defined geographical environment with specific natural and human factors which is capable of conferring on that product or foodstuff its specific characteristics,” said a statement.
“The interplay between the natural factors and the specific human factors, in particular the traditional production method, which requires straining without pressure, has thus given feta cheese its remarkable international reputation.”
Feta’s geographical area covers only the territory of mainland Greece and the department of Lesbos.
Germany and Denmark, backed by France and the UK, mounted a legal challenge to the European Commission’s 2002 PDO ruling on feta.
‘Feta’ type cheese has been produced in Denmark and France since the 1930s, and in Germany since 1972.
But the EU courts found that “the production of feta has remained concentrated in Greece, with more than 85 per cent of community consumption of feta, per capita and per year, taking place in Greece”.
“Feta is commonly marketed with labels referring to Greek cultural traditions and civilisation,” said a statement.
“Thus, consumers in those member states perceive feta as a cheese associated with Greece, even if in reality it has been produced in another member state.”
UK Conservative MEP Edward McMillan-Scott, a long-time campaigner against Greek efforts to claim exclusive rights over the feta name, has branded the ruling “whey out of line”.
“This is hard cheese for many producers across the EU. Such a tough restriction is entirely unnecessary. Shepherd's Purse Cheeses in my home region of North Yorkshire has been producing this stuff for years.”
“It's going to confuse shoppers and cause no end of hassle for producers who will be forced to dream up new ways of telling people what sort of cheese they're buying,” he said.
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