Same status as Bündnerfleisch

Three additional Swiss products are now protected from copying or misuse in the EU, according to an agreement between Switzerland and the EU.

The Federal Office of Agriculture announced on Monday that the Swiss-EU Joint Committee on Agriculture and Agriculture has signed a decision guaranteeing the protection of the Swiss designations "Jambon cru du Valais", "Lard sec du Valais" and "Zuger Kirschtorte" within the EU. In return, Switzerland will protect around 77 new EU designations.

A packaged Zuger Kirschtorte from Treichler, the company that invented the Zuger Kirschtorte.

The three Swiss names are Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs). They are now also protected in the EU against any counterfeiting or misuse. The agreement already protects well-known Swiss names such as "Bündnerfleisch" and "Téte de Moine".

The decision entered into force yesterday Sunday. The "Zuger Kirschtorte" (Zug cherry cake) is subject to a transitional arrangement: the name may be re-used in the EU for two years., Switzerland and the EU have been protecting each other's PGIs and protected designations of origin (PDOs) since 2011, and further designations are to be added at the beginning of 2021.