‘Balsamic vinegar’ in Slovenia

Question for written answer  E-001141/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Nicola Procaccini (ECR), Carlo Fidanza (ECR), Raffaele Fitto (ECR), Raffaele Stancanelli (ECR), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Vincenzo Sofo (ECR)

The Slovenian Government has adopted a rule whereby any mixture of wine vinegar and concentrated grape must can be called and consequently sold as ‘balsamic vinegar’.

Slovenia's unilateral move is jeopardising a market worth EUR 1 billion and constitutes an attack on the entire high-quality, genuine Italian products system.

The Commission has already been notified of this action, which runs counter to the current rules on ‘protected designation of origin’ products (PDOs) and ‘protected geographical indication’ products (PGIs), along with the rules on the labelling and consumer information system.

The initiative may even increase international demand for fake Italian products, which, through the improper use of places, images, words, colours, names and recipes that are not actually Italian at all, already generate more than EUR 100 billion.

• 1.In the light of the above, does the Commission believe that the Slovenian Government's decision is line with the rules on PDOs, PGIs and other quality schemes?
• 2.If this unilateral decision proves inconsistent with the rules protecting designations of origin, as all the evidence suggests it will, what will the Commission do to block it?