Greek MEP Yannis Maniatis (S&D) has asked the European Commission what it is doing to counter alleged US pressure on non-EU countries to allow imports of American products using names reserved for European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products, such as feta cheese. The written question, submitted on 7 April 2026, warns that such practices would violate existing trade agreements, mislead consumers, and harm EU agri-food exports.
Maniatis cites a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration is pushing countries—even those with EU trade deals guaranteeing PDO protection—to accept US products with similar names but different raw materials and manufacturing methods. He argues this would enable unfair competition from cheaper, lower-quality imitations and undermine the EU's geographical indications regime.
The MEP asks three specific questions: what the Commission is doing to address these practices, whether they are consistent with the EU-US trade agreement signed in Turnberry, Scotland, and what sanctions the Commission will impose on countries that violate PDO protections under US pressure.
As a parliamentary question under Rule 144, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal the EU's willingness to enforce PDO protections diplomatically or through trade measures, and could affect EU producers (especially Greek feta makers), US exporters, non-EU trading partners, and consumers. The question reflects a cleavage between trade liberalisation and protection of EU geographical indications, with potential impacts on EU-US trade relations and the credibility of EU trade agreements.