Slovenia to sue European Commission over regional wine name

Židan informed ministers of plans to take legal action by the end of August

The exception was granted to neighbouring Croatia in spite of protests from Slovenia which claims Teran - which is an EU-protected product - can be used only for red wine that is produced in Western Slovenia. Photo: BoBo

Slovenia plans to take the European Commission to court over a decision to exempt Croatia from a ruling preventing the use of the name Teran for wines produced outside Western Slovenia, the country's national news agency STA reported on Tuesday.

STA quoted Slovenian Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan, who informed EU agricultural ministers at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday of plans to take legal action by the end of August.

The exception was granted to neighbouring Croatia in spite of protests from Slovenia which claims Teran - which is an EU-protected product - can be used only for red wine that is produced in Western Slovenia.

Slovenia and Croatia both declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and are the only two of seven former Yugoslav states to have joined the European Union so far - Slovenia in 2004 and Croatia in 2013.

The two countries also have an open dispute regarding the sea and land border between them as Croatia continues to reject the border ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration which was revealed last month.
Marja Novak, Reuters