May 2003
Italy gets to keep their Parma Ham and Grana Padano cheese
Italy won an important victory in the European Court of Justice in a dispute over whether Parma Ham and Grana Padano cheese can be packaged only in their regions of production. For years the Italian ham and cheese industries have been unhappy about products packaged elsewhere complaining that such products are of lower quality than the original products from Italy and should not be sold under Parma or Grana Padano names.
The dispute commenced in 1997 when Asda supermarkets offered 'Parma Ham' under their own brand. The ham had been produced in Italy but sliced and packaged in the UK. Action was brought against Asda for an order to cease their activities on the ground that they were contrary to the rules applicable to 'Parma Ham'. The House of Lords referred the case to the European Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling on the interpretation of the Community Regulation establishing protection for designation of origin and geographical indications for agricultural product or foodstuff. All foodstuff registered under the Regulation must comply with a specification which defines it in detail. The specification defining Parma Ham (and Grana Padano cheese) requires that the ham must be sliced and packaged in the place of origin.
Consequently, the European court ruled that in order to satisfy the criteria of quality and guarantee an identifiable geographical origin slicing and packaging must take place in the region of origin.
In the past the EU has provided protection for other delicatessen originating in certain part of the Union such as Spanish Rioja ines, Greek Kalamata olives and English Stilton blue cheese.
Briffa comment:
The Parma Ham decision creates an anomaly in that it would appear to be legal for restaurants to slice their own Parma Ham on site.