On 7th February, in Brussels, the European Commission announced that "Gruyère" has been added to the list of protected geographical indications (PGI).

Cheeses which have a common origin, Franco-Swiss name "Gruyère" (France) coexists with that of "Gruyère" (Switzerland), are protected within the European Union (EU) in the framework of the EU-Switzerland Agreement of 2011 on geographical indications. In order to avoid confusion between the French and Swiss versions of "Gruyère", and to ensure full consumer information, additional labelling measures are planned which have been approved following consultation with Switzerland and France. Regarding French "Gruyère" cheese, the county of origin will be included on the pack, in the same field of vision as the "Gruyère" name (in lettering of the same size) and any use of flag, emblem, sign or other graphic representation, likely to mislead consumers, is banned. (Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 ‘Gruyère’)

"France applied to the EC to register the name ‘Gruyere’ as a PGI in November 2010. In the application, French Gruyere was described as a cow's milk cheese with a fat content of between 47% and 52% and “holes ranging in size from that of a pea to a cherry.” This PGI is the second to be granted to Gruyere cheese. Swiss-made Gruyere cheese was given PGI protection through a bilateral agreement with the European Union (EU), despite not being an EU Member State. Objections to the French application were submitted by authorities in Australia and New Zealand, and by the US Dairy Exports Council (USDEC) and the US National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). The EC rebuffed the objections, advising that Gruyere from France be entered into the Register of Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications. “PDO/PGI committee voted in favour of registering the French cheese ‘Gruyere’ as a protected geographical indication under Regulation 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs,” said a statement from the EC." (DAIRYreporter.com)

"Gruyère" has been added to a list of over 1100 products already protected under the legislation on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin and traditional specialties. Information on quality products, as well as the list of protected names, can be read on the European Commission's Agriculture and Rural Development website here

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