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Parliamentary question - E-003954/2014Parliamentary question
E-003954/2014

Authenticity labelling for leather products

Question for written answer E-003954-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Paolo Bartolozzi (PPE)

In October 2013, the Commission launched a public consultation (which ended on 31 January 2014) regarding a labelling system for the authenticity of leather at EU level; the objective was to gather views about the scale of the issue of labelling the products in question and the impact of any measures which could be implemented in this regard.

The initial findings of the investigation seem to show that companies and consumers would welcome greater transparency and the presence of a mandatory labelling system for leather manufacturers.

Nevertheless, despite the aforementioned initial favourable findings, the fact that there are ongoing problems with fraudulent labelling and forms of counterfeiting, and the proven damage that the absence of such a system causes to European consumers, there is still a lack of clarity as regards the Commission's intentions concerning the possibility of a legal measure in this matter.

Considering that transparency about the origins of consumer goods should be a priority for European policy, since it represents an instrument to protect the safety of consumers and to combat forms of unfair competition, I should like to ask the Commission to answer the following questions.

1. What further steps does it intend to take concerning authenticity labelling for leather products?

2. How does it intend to take into consideration the repeated requests for such labelling from European consumers, workers and companies?

OJ C 357, 09/10/2014