Mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for certain foods
25.2.2016
Question for oral answer O-000031/2016
to the Commission
Rule 128
Renate Sommer, Glenis Willmott, Julie Girling, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Lynn Boylan, Michèle Rivasi, Piernicola Pedicini, Matteo Salvini, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
In accordance with Article 26(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, on 20 May 2015 the Commission submitted two reports to Parliament and the Council, one assessing the feasibility of mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for milk, milk used as an ingredient in dairy products and types of meat other than beef, swine, sheep, goat and poultry meat (COM(2015)0205), the other assessing the feasibility of mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for unprocessed foods, single ingredient products and ingredients that represent more than 50 % of a food (COM(2015)0204). When does the Commission intend to present and discuss the findings of these feasibility reports with Parliament?
According to the Eurobarometer survey 2013[1], 84 % of consumers consider it necessary that the origin of milk be indicated, whether it is sold as such or used as an ingredient in dairy products. As regards processed meat, the Commission’s report of 17 December 2013[2] shows that 90 % of consumers want to know the origin of meat in processed foods.
This notwithstanding, in its report on milk and milk used as an ingredient in dairy products, the Commission concludes that – in consideration of, in particular, the economic impacts of mandatory country of origin labelling for such products on food business operators – maintaining the status quo (voluntary labelling) could be the most suitable solution with regard to these products. As regards processed meat, the Commission has yet to make any follow-up legislative proposals.
According to the survey accompanying the report on milk and meat other than beef, etc., the costs of mandatory origin labelling for milk and milk used as an ingredient in dairy products increase as the complexity of the production process grows. However, as existing food law only differentiates between non-processed and processed food, in its conclusion the Commission does not differentiate between lightly and highly processed products. Can the Commission define ‘lightly processed’ foods, in particular in relation to dairy and meat products? As the costs of origin labelling are expected to be significantly reduced if the scope of it is limited to milk for drinking and lightly processed dairy products, such as cheese and cream, and to certain lightly processed meat products, such as sausages and bacon, will the Commission now look at the possibility of initially limiting the scope of mandatory country of origin labelling to foods with regard to which consumer interest is balanced against costs, such as milk for drinking and lightly processed dairy and meat products?