Basque cider has run into opposition from France in its bid for a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) like the one Asturian cider has had for years. Last January the Official Journal of the European Union published the Basque Country’s official application for its “sagardoa” to receive EU quality recognition, opening a period for objections during which the French came out against the request to register the name “Sidra del País Vasco / Euskal Sagardoa”. France’s opposition and its arguments, which have not been made public, have already been passed on to the Basque Government so that it can rebut them. France is one of Europe’s cider powerhouses, especially the regions of Brittany and Normandy.

On the initiative of a group of industry operators and the Basque Government, the Ministry of Agriculture submitted the application to register the designation of origin for Basque cider to the European Commission (EC) on 11 May 2017. From then on, as the regulations allow, the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development approved transitional national protection in July 2017, authorising producers who meet the specification included in the application to Brussels to sell their cider under the name “Sidra del País Vasco / Euskal Sagardoa”. All this while awaiting the Commission’s final decision for or against the PDO.