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Italian politicians are furious that an area in southern France is calling itself La Toscane Occitane in tourism campaigns.

The tourism campaign, which covers Gaillac, Pays Cordais and Vaour communes in the department of Tarn, was launched last year.

It clearly worked, generating 鈧�87 million for the area. But it has irked the real Tuscany region in Italy, which says it confuses tourists.

According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Nicola Danti, an MEP from Tuscany, told the European Commission: 鈥淭here is only one Tuscany and it is right for those who, cunningly, try to use this brand to promote their area stop doing so immediately.鈥�

However, the tourism campaign in the French region of Occitane was co-funded by the European Union (EU).

Mr Danti asked how the European Parliament can track 鈥渟imilar actions in the rest of the world which harm our economy鈥� and at the same time support 鈥渟uch campaigns within the very countries of the EU鈥�.

He called the 鈥渃ompetition鈥�, 鈥渄ishonest鈥�, and 鈥渦nacceptable given the potential to confuse tourists鈥�, adding it is an 鈥渦nwarranted exploitation of a recognised touristic brand鈥�.

The president of the Tuscany region, Eugenio Giani, went a step further and said 鈥渋dentity theft is a crime鈥� telling his fellow Italians that 鈥渨e will make ourselves heard鈥�. Mr Giani said, again according to La Repubblica, that 鈥渨e will evaluate what steps to take鈥�.

Read more: Tarn: France鈥檚 鈥榣ittle Tuscany鈥� in demand among domestic holidaymakers

鈥榃e are ready鈥�

Paul Salvador, chair of the La Toscane Occitane brand, meanwhile said he nearly fell off his horse when he heard the 鈥渋dentity theft鈥� claims.

Mr Salvador initially found the claims ridiculous, according to the French newspaper, La D茅p锚che du Midi, saying: 鈥淭o this extent, everyone knows how much I love Italy and Tuscany in particular, I do not see why Rome is not asking Toulouse to change the name of la place du Capitole, perhaps even asking the US to find another name for its Congress [building, where the US House of Representatives sits]. After all, the Capitol was one of the seven hills of Rome鈥�.

Mr Salvador noted the brand name La Toscane Occitane was registered with France鈥檚 intellectual property office, the INPI, and that no one contested the brand name within the two-month deadline. As such, the Italians seem to be complaining too late.

鈥淚f the Italians want to take the affair to court, we are ready, we have the lawyers to defend our case,鈥� Mr Salvador said. However, he added that he would rather have a friendly reconciliation with Tuscany and maybe even carry out joint tourism campaigns.

If anything, Mr Salvador is worried that Tarn鈥檚 tourism campaign could be attacked by closer departments in France, as 鈥淭arn has an aggressive tourism campaign, that is true. That could offend some people around us鈥�.

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