Swiss 'Champagne' To Lose Name Under EU Accords

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

22 May 2002

The six bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU which have successfully been ratified by all 15 EU member states, and which are due to come into effect on June 1st, will have one little-publicised effect which is not going down at all well: the village of Champagne in Vaud canton will no longer be able to use the word 'champagne' on the labels of their local wine.

Forty-three winegrowers from the village, which has a population of just 660, say that legal proceedings will be launched at the European Court of Justice within the next few weeks. Albert Banderet, who heads the village’s action committee, told swissinfo: “It is a total injustice to prevent the winegrowers of Champagne in Vaud from using the name of their village on their wine labels.”

The wine growers are seeking to have the relevant bilateral treaty amended so they can continue using the label on the 280,000 bottles of wine they produce annually. Banderet says that the village's winemakers could face financial losses of more than SFr1 million a year.

Lawyers acting for the village will point to records showing that wine has been grown in the area since the year 885 and the village’s name dates back to 1213. They will argue that the terms of the agreement between the EU and Switzerland are “discriminatory” towards Champagne’s winegrowers.

“We’re convinced we’ll be successful because we’re asking for democracy to be applied,” added Banderet. “We simply can’t put up with the strongest elements in society silencing the weaker ones.”

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