Parliamentary question - P-000971/2022Parliamentary question
P-000971/2022

Supply and emergency labelling issues caused by the war in Ukraine

Priority question for written answer  P-000971/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Jordi Cañas (Renew)

The war in Ukraine is having serious consequences for all aspects of European economy. One such problem is a shortage of basic commodities. Sunflower oil shortages are a serious and immediate problem for the EU as Ukraine accounts for 90% of the EU’s sunflower oil imports[1].

Companies are looking for alternatives to sunflower oil but it is a complex process which involves modifying recipes as quickly as possible. This will potentially lead to an increase in the price of industrial confectioneries (pastries, biscuits, cakes, etc.) as the current framework on product labelling was not designed to respond to supply crises.

The EU requires the type of oil used in each product be indicated[2]. Companies will therefore find it very difficult to redesign and print hundreds of thousands of new labels for use across Europe, particularly as the oils used may be different within the same batch.

In light of the above:

Last updated: 16 March 2022
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