"Protected Designation of Origin" necessary

One of the more misunderstood European Laws is the one designed to protect regional foods.  A case before the ECJ about about feta cheese is a classic example of the hostility that often surrounds the granting of "Protected Designation of Origin" (PDO) status.  In 2002, the Commission granted Greece the exclusive right to label its cheese feta.  Denmark and Germany challenged the ruling in the ECJ and lost.  However, demonstrating how POD status can have an impact everywhere, the lone producer of feta cheese in the UK complains the ruling will be devasting to their company.  While it may seem silly to outlaw cheesemakers in Yorkshire from using the name feta, POD status exists because of the need to protect culturally significant foodstuffs in an era of globalization.  It is one of the few protective practices allowed in the common market, but seems like a necessary one.  Europe must protect its diversity while forging unity.