Oscypek cheese made in Brazil. Highlanders outraged by the agreement with Mercosur: vodka is more important

Local food producers believe that the EU-Mercosur agreement should protect traditional products, such as oscypek cheese, and emphasize that two Polish alcohols have so far been protected. The Ministry of Agriculture explains this, among others: low economic importance of local products and reassures us that the list can be supplemented.

This is a list of geographical indications that the European Union provides special protection in the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Securing these names is intended to prevent their counterfeiting and use by non-EU producers. The EU-Mercosur agreement includes provisions regarding the protection of a total of over 340 products with geographical indications. France has the most products on this list – 63, then Spain – 59, Italy – 57, Germany – 27. Poland has entered two alcohols – Polska Wódka and Żubrówka.

The Ministry of Agriculture explains the lack of protection for oscypek: “Low economic importance”

Producers and industry organizations from Podhale emphasize that the lack of protection of these names undermines the sense of many years of efforts to preserve the quality, tradition and reputation of Polish regional food: – Both oscypek cheese and all other products protected by a geographical name in Poland should be reserved in this agreement – says former Tatra staroste Andrzej Gąsienica Makowski from the Towarzystwo Produktu Górskiego Association, who sought to include Podhale products on the EU list of protected names.

I don't think that the Mercosur countries would send us exemplary oscypek cheese en masse, but if the product is not proprietary, it would theoretically be possible, especially since there is a shortage of oscypek cheese on the market. If the French and Italians reserved their specialties, what did Poland do about it? The government should look into this and include all Polish geographically protected products on the list, he added.

Shepherd Paweł Łojas from Bachledzki Wierch in Zakopane has a similar opinion, he believes lack of protection for oscypek cheese and Podhale lamb as a serious oversightpointing out that the high standards in Poland can theoretically be copied in South American countries: – So what if in Poland we maintain the highest standards of oscypek production – it must be made from sheep's milk from sheep grazed in the mountains – if then the same cheese could theoretically be produced, for example, in Brazil or Argentina, where there are much more sheep than in our country. We didn't reserve these products in the EU just to have them shipped back to us from America, he says. He noted that neither Polska Wódka nor Żubrówka appear in the European register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications, and yet they were reserved in the agreement with Mercosur.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in order for traditional products to be included in the EU-Mercosur agreement, they must have: high economic importance, be exported to the target market and be vulnerable to counterfeiting. Ministry spokeswoman Iwona Pacholska emphasized that the seasonal nature of production and the impossibility of exporting oscypek and Podhale bryndza to Mercosur countries significantly minimizes the risk of name infringements, and their strength lies in unique craftsmanship features and the connection with the region.

PiS's “negligence” can be fixed

In response to PAP's question whether the decision to limit the list to two products was preceded by consultations with producers of regional food and organizations representing the interests of producers of protected products, the ministry said that submitting additional products is possible at any time. Producers interested in entering the Mercosur market have the opportunity to submit an application to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, especially if they are afraid of unauthorized use of their product name.

The only MEP from Podhale, Jagna Marczulajtis-Walczak (KO), also commented on the matter. She emphasized that local products must be protected against counterfeiting, as did the Italians and the French, who reported long lists of protected products despite opposing the entire agreement. She added that Poland limited itself to only two alcohols, even though the agreement was ready in 2019 and the negotiations formally ended in October 2023. The MEP assessed it as an example of the PiS government's negligence and disregarding the interests of Polish farmers and producers. However, she noted that the list of protected products may be updated and the ministry may take steps to supplement the protection of regional products. She encouraged producers to contact the ministry, declaring support in seeking the protection of their products.

There are 47 Polish products in the EU registers of Protected Designations of Origin, Protected Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialties Guaranteed. The list opens with Podhale bryndza and oscypek cheese – the first Podhale products covered by EU protection. Also registered are: Krakowski obwarzanek, Podhale lamb, Old Polish hunting sausage and other regional specialties.

The European Commission signed a trade agreement with Mercosur on January 17 in Asuncion, Paraguay. In early January, most member states agreed to sign the agreement; against were Poland, France, Austria, Ireland and Hungary. The agreement is intended to facilitate the flow of industrial and agricultural products between the EU and the bloc of South American countries. (PAP)

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