In Brussels, one of the most popular types of cheese in Europe is currently struggling – and Austria is involved. In the middle of the dispute: the Emmentaler. Switzerland claims exclusively the name rights, but the EU committee has been crossed. Now Austria is officially clamped in the procedure for the European Court – as a so -driven intervener.
Emmentaler for everyone – or only from the Emmental? What sounds like a harmless breakfast question has serious consequences for the European cheese markets. Switzerland wants to enforce the name “Emmentaler” as a protected name name – such as Champagne or Parma Ham. Everyone who says that Emmentaler must also mean “from the Emmental” in the future. For the cheese economy of Austria, a bitter setback would be. “Emmentaler has been a term for a kind of cheese in Austria for decades – not for origin,” said Minister of Agriculture Norbert Tettschnig (ÖVP). The Tyrolean had all his lawyers march: “We are now fighting for our farms and our processing companies on the right.”
A cheese with history – even without a passport
Since the 1930s, Emmentaler has in fact been manufactured in Austria. The Mild-Nutty Hard cheese with the typical holes has long been part of the standard repertoire in the shelves of the domestic supermarket and in a snack box. In 2023 alone, more than 13,700 tons were produced in Germany. The name has been established, the sale is secure – but if Switzerland had to endure in court, the sale would be prohibited under the name “Emmentaler”. Even additives such as “Austrian Emmentaler” can be prevented. In particular sensitive: the measure can apply for up to five years of retrospective.
A disk right for everyone
On the side of the EU committee you can see the matter comparable to Austria. Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland also expressed the Swiss application. Her argument: Emmentaler has long been a so -called generic concept – similar to “Gouda” or “Camembert”, which are also not limited to a region. Comfortable warnings for the economic consequences: “We are not only talking about labels here. These are jobs, added value in rural areas and legal certainty for our companies.” His conclusion: “If terms that have become natural, have suddenly become monopolizable, that would be a fatal signal.”
Luxembourg has the last word
The European court in Luxembourg now decides whether the Swiss side can triumph with his desire for exclusive use of name. The farmers and cheese makers of Austria hope that the gaps will remain in the Emmentaler and will not appear in the argumentation of their defenders.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
