Denmark cannot export cheese labeled as feta, ECJ rules

The European Union's top court reprimanded Denmark on Thursday for not stopping local companies from using the name 'feta' for cheese sales outside the bloc.

In a win for fellow EU member state Greece, the Court of Justice of the European Union — informally known as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) — ruled that, in "failing to stop the use of the designation 'feta' for cheese intended for export to third countries" Denmark had "failed to fulfill its obligations under EU law."

Danish feta case crumbles in court

The ECJ said Denmark should stop using the classification and ordered it to swiftly comply, or the European Commission can turn to the court again to seek financial damages. The court said, though, that Denmark had cooperated sincerely over the case.

In 2005, efforts from both Germany and Denmark to challenge the European Commission's 2002 decision to grant Greece the copyright on feta failed.

Denmark's claims grated on Greece

Despite this, Denmark continued to let its producers label their products feta when they exported the cheese outside the 27-nation bloc.

That prompted the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, to turn, with Greek support, to the court.

Big feta Greek heading

Greece claims feta as part of its cultural heritage and thus wants to retain sole ownership of the heading.

It says it has been cultivating the brined white cheese made from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk, for 6,000 years.

jsi/fb (AFP, Reuters)