Brussels, 12/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 September, the European Commission agreed to the registration of “Colombian coffee” on the list of agricultural and food products as a protected denomination under Community law. This is the first time that a product from a third country is covered by the Community regulation on protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI). The request for protecting this prestigious coffee by the Colombian government was published on 28 December 2006 in the Official Journal of the EU. The Commission also agreed to protect three other European products: Italian chestnuts covered by the PGI, “Castagna Cuneo”; the PDO, “Asparago Bianco di Bassano (turions of asparagus near the Italian town of Bassano del Grappa) and the Spanish shellfish “Mejillón de Galicia” or the Mexillón de Galicia” (PDO). These denominations have been added to the list of around 800 products already protected under Community legislation. (lc)