Bidding for Tunisian Chechia to be awarded Controlled Designation of Origin status (Minister of Tourism)

Tunis: The Tunisian chechia, an emblematic headgear of Tunisia's heritage, is eligible for the Controlled Designation of Origin (AOC) status, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Mohamed Moez Belhassine said on Saturday at the opening of the second Chechia Festival in El Battane (Manouba governorate).A product that has been awarded Controlled Designation of Origin status, reflects an intimate link between its production and the specific area in which it is produced, all recognised and upheld by skilled men with a high level of know-how.The Ministry of Tourism, through the National Office of Tunisian Handicrafts (ONAT), is seeking to label a total of some 60 craft products, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standardisation and Industrial Property (INNORPI), he added, pointing out that the Sejnane pottery had already been awarded this status in 2023.Priority will now be given to including the ancestral know-how of the chechia on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage, he considered, under lining that his department is also endeavouring to protect this product against counterfeiting.During a visit to the fulling mill at El Battane, the minister announced that an anti-counterfeiting campaign would be launched from June onwards in souks and tourist circuits, in collaboration with the Trade Ministry, insisting that "all offenders will be punished."Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse