Prague/Bratislava - Czechs and Slovaks are going to fight shoulder to shoulder with Brussels for registration of four traditional meat products: two types of salami (lovecký salám and liptovský salám) and two types of sausages (spišský párek and špekáček).
Slovakia was the first to ask for the registration of these products, the Czech Republic eventually joined their effort. Agriculture Ministers of the both countries formally agreed on common strategy this March at an international fair for the food industry in Brno.
Detailed recipes to be elaborated
This week in Brussels, they agreed on a plan. According to this agreement, the Slovakians will be the main negotiators with Brussels officials. Also, they will determine the definitive recipes for liptovský salám and spišské párky. Czechs, on the other hand, will be responsible for recipes of lovecký salám and špekáčky. Both sides will then exchange the recipes.
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According to experts, the two-country request has a high chance of success.
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Other food products have not been so lucky, though.
There is already a number of Czech food products protected by the EU, for example gingerbread of Pardubice (Pardubický perník), Žatec hops (Žatecký chmel), or sweet Hořice tubes (Hořické trubičky). These products were also granted protection of territorial origin, which means that they have exclusive rights to production in the EU.
Czech "spreadable butter" (pomazánkové máslo) was found not fatty enough to be registered. Czech tuzemský rum was not considered rum at all, since it is not produced from sugar cane. Now, this alcoholic beverage is sold under the name Tuzemák.
