Are EU kidding? European Union orders Australia to change the name of ANOTHER popular cheese – after demanding the same with Parmesan, prosciutto and whisky
- Australia has been ordered to change the name of Danish cheese ‘Harvati’
- It’s latest in a list of European goods argued to have a geographical connotation
- Mozzarella, prosciutto, Parmesan and whisky have been named as EU copyright
The European Union has ordered Australia to change the name of one of its most popular cheeses.
The EU has ordered Havarti cheese in Australia must be changed as sole ownership of the name has been granted to Denmark.
It is the latest in a list of protected European goods argued to breach copyright, as external producers give products names with geographical connotations.
Parmesan, prosciutto and whisky are some of the hundreds of food and beverages with protected geographical indications, which identify a product as originating from a specific place.
The European Union has ordered Australia to change the name of Havarti cheese (pictured) as they grant sole ownership to Denmark
Two months ago, Mozzarella, Camembert, Feta, Edam and Gouda were cataloged as items to be renamed.
The term Scotch would be banned entirely from being used to market beef and lamb cuts along with whisky unless they were the product of Scotland, which ironically is leaving the EU when Brexit comes into force in late October.
On Thursday, Dairy associations in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay and the US, wrote to the EU trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmström to express their outrage, the Brisbane Times reports.
‘Such an approval lays bare the fact that all too often the EU GI system is used not for legitimate intellectual property protection, but instead for barely concealed protectionism and economic gain,’ the letter says.
Havarti, a creamy, semi-hard cheese, is a staple in Danish cuisine.
Denmark makes less than half of Havarti -which isn’t linked to a particular region- world wide.
Other major producers include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany.
Parmesan, Prosciutto (pictured) and Whisky form part of the hundreds of food and beverages with protected geographical indications (GI), which identify a product as originating from a specific place
Denmark has battled to trademark the good for four years, arguing its knowledge outside its homeland is limited.
Major producers have rebutted that most Havarti cheese is made in other countries and it doesn’t refer to a geographic area.
The European Union released a list of 172 food and 236 beverages that breach its copyright wanted fixed as part of a free trade deal in August.
A decade ago, Australia made a deal with the EU to prohibit the use of European wine regions on its labels, including champagne, port and sherry.
The European Union released a list of 172 food and 236 beverages that breach its copyright wanted fixed as part of a free trade deal in August (stock image)