By Martin Banks - 21st June 2011
I believe this is the right time for the EU institutions to focus on quality agricultural production
Iratxe Garcia Perez
A parliamentary committee has voted in favour of simpler rules for food quality labelling.
The agriculture committee said labels for agricultural products must also be made easier for producers to register and use.
At a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, the committee amended draft EU labelling rules to cut the time taken to register a label.
A total of 19 compromise amendments were put forward to the draft legislation.
Parliament's rapporteur on the issue, Spanish S&D member Iratxe Garcia Perez welcomed the outcome of the vote.
Her report was approved with 33 votes with just four abstentions and will now go to next month's plenary in Strasbourg for a final vote.
Speaking at a news conference in parliament on Tuesday, she said, "I am satisfied that this is good news for both consumers and producers.
"I believe this is the right time for the EU institutions to focus on quality agricultural production. We need a more flexible system and the changes we have been able to make to the draft legislation at committee stage have been fundamental."
She said the proposed new legislation on quality labelling for agricultural products, on which parliament now co-decides with member states, would provide a single set of rules for quality labelling schemes.
This will cover foods such as fresh meat, cheese, beers, fruits, vegetables, oils and bread that originate in a given geographical area or were produced or processed in line with a traditional practice.
The new rules approved by the committee will also apply to dark chocolate and salt.
"Light" and "low-fat" products would be eligible for optional labelling introduced by member state on a voluntary basis. Wines and spirits will continue to be excluded.
There are three EU-wide quality labelling schemes currently in use.
The "protected designation of origin" label is used for products produced, processed and also prepared in a given area, such as feta and roquefort.
The "protected geographical indication" label may be used for produce and foodstuffs for which at least one production stage takes place in the specified region.
Producers using a recognised traditional method to make, say, saláma, may continue to use a "traditional speciality guaranteed" label.
To help EU food producers to compete with imports from third countries, quality labels for agricultural products must be made easier for producers to register and use to explain value added to customers, said the agriculture committee on Tuesday.
The committee amended draft labelling rules to cut the time taken to register a label, empower producers to do more to protect their products and allow a new label for mountain produce.
Labels for island produce and farm gate sales may follow soon.
The proposed new legislation on quality labelling for agricultural products, on which parliament co-decides with the council, would provide a single set of rules for quality labelling schemes for foods such as fresh meat, cheese, beers, fruits, vegetables, oils, bread and pastry, etc - that originated in a given geographical area or were produced or processed in line with a traditional practice.
The new rules approved by the agriculture committee would also apply to dark chocolate and salt. "Light" and "low-fat" products would be eligible for optional labelling introduced by member state on a voluntary basis. Wines and spirits would continue to be excluded.
