The European Union's executive arm said it adopted a formal decision that feta cheese was only feta if it was made in specific parts of Greece, giving it the same kind of protection as Parma ham and champagne.

The ruling means other EU states have five years to modify the description of the cheese they produce that currently is called feta--or stop production.

The EU ruling was a victory for Greece, where the soft white cheese made of a blend of sheep and goat's milk is believed to have been produced for about 6,000 years. Athens had lobbied furiously to have feta protected.