A geographical indications row harking back to the Second World War has broken out over a bid to register Czech cheese and wafers as products officially protected by the European Union.

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Czech producers have asked the European Commission for exclusive use of the name ‘Karlovarske oplatky’ to market traditional wafers from Karlove Vary, and ‘Olomoucke tvaruzky’ to sell cheese from Morava region.


However, Sudeten Germans made such products in these regions before the war, and they continued making them in Germany and Austria after being expelled in 1945. German and Austrian MEPs are opposing the Czech registration, saying their local products are also legitimate.

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