The ok of the European Commission to the mention Croatian Prosek it has infuriated winemakers and not only: the news has also shocked the world of politics and entertainment, given the similarity between the names Prosek and Prosecco which could mislead consumers and damage Italian wine. After publication in the Gazette, our country will have two months to present a reasoned objection which the Commission will analyze before adopting a final decision.
However, it is not only a question of damaging the image of the Veneto product, but rather the turnover and employment it represents. The world's most famous Italian sparkling market is valid 2 billion euros in annual turnover of which one billion abroad (2020), 16% of the total. And this news also ruins the record for Prosecco exports recorded in 2021, which grew by 17% compared to 2020. Over 120 million bottles have been shipped beyond our borders, an incredible growth that makes Prosecco the most exported wine worldwide. This is what emerged from the analysis of the Coldiretti based on Istat data relating to foreign trade.
And on the recognition, Coldiretti declared that "the EU green light for Croatian Prosek also blatantly contradicts the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union which declared illegitimate precisely the scam names that evoke in an instrumental and deceptive way products with the denomination of origin recognized and protected by the European Union as the star of Italian bubbles”.
"It is necessary to act quickly to stop a scandalous decision that affects the best-selling Italian wine in the world - said the president of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini -. It is a dangerous precedent that also risks weakening the EU itself in international relations and in negotiations for exchange agreements where it is necessary to protect the prosecco denomination from fakes as in Argentina and Australia".
Even if the two wines have nothing in common except the name (Prosek is a sweet wine very similar to passito), the case risks damaging the local market: not only because it can create confusion between the two wines but above all a dangerous example of "Italian Sounding”, the increasingly widespread phenomenon which consists of using words, images, chromatic combinations, geographical references, brands evocative of Italy to promote and market products that in reality have nothing Italian.
“The decision of the European Commission on the recognition of the protected geographical indication of Croatian wine Prosek is wrong. The Ministry has already opposed this recognition and will use any useful argument to reject the registration application promoted by Croatia, also appealing to the principles of protection expressed by the Court of Justice in similar cases, such as occurred in the very recent case of the Spanish Champanillo for example" , so expressed the ministry of agricultural policies.
However, the European Commission has assessed "the compliance with the admissibility and validity requirements" of the "application for the protection of the traditional term Prosek presented by Croatia". About, Confagricoltura on the other hand, he underlined how the declarations of the Commission on the fact that "there is no homonymy and that there is no risk of confusion on the part of the consumer" could not at all reassure Italy.
Also Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Region had his say: “There is a lot at stake. What is happening is shameful, so agriculture is not being defended and investments are not being defended. But, above all, this is how the history and identity of a territory is mortified. I hope there are tools to resort. The Region will do its part”.
"The matter is by no means over, we have 60 days to present our observations," he declared Stephen Zanette, president of the Prosecco Doc Consortium. While, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with Veneto and the Prosecco Consortium, is ready to give all its support to the Ministry of Agricultural Policies to build the opposition file against the application for recognition. He made it known Stefano Zannier, regional councilor for agro-food resources of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
