The EU Court ruled on Wednesday that the term Emmentaler refers to a type of cheese familiar in German-speaking countries as opposed to a specific region in Switzerland.
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Toblerone can afford to abandon the Matterhorn
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European foodmakers guard their territories fiercely but they should be exposed to competition, says John Gapper.
The verdict means that Emmentaler cannot be designated a protected trademark in the EU, dealing a blow to makers of the Swiss cheese with distinctive holes.
The cheese organisation Emmentaler Switzerland argued in vain to the EU court that Emmental cheeses from outside of Switzerland should be clearly labeled as such.
The Luxembourg judgment can still be appealed to the highest European court, the European Court of Justice.
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Around 68,000 Ukrainian refugees live in Switzerland
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Three years after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, almost 68,000 Ukrainians are currently living in Switzerland as refugees with protection status S.
English and other foreign languages on rise in Switzerland
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The proportion of people in Switzerland whose main language is not one of the four national languages – German, French, Italian or Romansh - has risen significantly in recent years.
Police bust drug trafficking ring in southern Switzerland
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Gruyère cheese group loses trademark case in US
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A court in the US has ruled that cheese does not have to come from the Gruyère region of Switzerland to be sold under this name.
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