Greece to protect its signature brands of agricultural and food products

Greece is determined to protect its signature brands of products, Minister of Agricultural Development and Food, Stavros Arachovitis told Xinhua in a recent interview after the country's latest victory over the Czech Republic on the spat of "Greek yogurt" labeling.

Although Greek yogurt is not protected with EU designation of product like feta, the flagship of Greece's geographical indications, the Greek government is taking steps to offer brand name protection against imitations that mislead the consumers.

"The designation of Greek yogurt got a late start," the Greek minister admitted. "Our country is in the process to establish a protected geographical indication (PGI) in Europe. It will also be protected in international agreements EU signs with third countries," Arachovitis explained.

But the procedure will take longer, he emphasized. The main difficulty...