Labelling of food made from plant-based alternatives
30.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002312/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Christine Schneider (PPE)
On 4 October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on the labelling of food (Case C-438/23, Protéines France and Others) that a Member State cannot ban the use of terms traditionally associated with a product of animal origin to describe a product containing plant proteins if it has not formally adopted a legal name for it. With a view to strengthening the internal market and better enabling consumers to make informed decisions on consumption of meat products or alternative vegan products, clear and unambiguous regulation at EU level would appear necessary. Consumers should be able to rely on the same labelling for plant-based alternatives across the EU.
- 1.What national rules are permissible under EU law for labelling of vegan meat substitutes as distinct from animal-based products?
- 2.How can we strengthen the single market and standardise labelling throughout the EU, and can we prevent countries from going it alone?
- 3.Which terms for plant-based alternatives would the Commission consider to be suitable?
Submitted: 30.10.2024