Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-on-woman-taking-vinegar-bottle-10060230/
The Italian government is launching infringement proceedings against Slovenia in an attempt to defend the authenticity of its balsamic vinegar which is geographically protected.
Last year, Slovenia notified the European Commission that it plans to “standardise” its vinegar production and would market any wine vinegar mixed with concentrated fruit juice or must as “balsamic vinegar”.
However, the term aceto balsamico di Modena (balsamic vinegar of Modena) can only be used by producers in Modena and the Emilia-Romagna region. It has been used since 2009.
Italian prime minister Mario Draghi has given the green light for the state attorney to start proceedings. Italy would first need to consult with the European Commission, if necessary, and then take the court before the court of justice of the European Union.
In 2019, Italian balsamic vinegar producers lost a legal challenge before the CJEU when they tried to prevent a German company from using aceto or aceto balsamico to market its vinegar products. In that case, the Luxembourg court had ruled that the protected term aceto balsamico di Modena “does not extend to the use of non-geographical individual terms. The restriction is on aceto balsamico di Modena and not on aceto balsamico alone.
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