Strasbourg, 22/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 October, the European Commission proposed a label of origin pilot scheme. It is proposed that, in this short-term voluntary scheme, certain goods should bear “made in” labels indicating the country where they were made. The Commission, which takes the view that labelling of this sort would increase consumer choice in Europe, hopes that the short duration of the initiative will win it the approval of member states, some of which are wary of any regulation in this area.
Initially, the scheme would involve the textile, footwear and ceramics sectors. Products from these sectors would bear a label indicating the country where they were made, the aim being to give the consumer more information in making his/her choice and to increase the added value of European goods. The exact scope has yet to be worked out, Commissioner Catherine Ashton told press in Strasbourg on Tuesday. She was flanked by Italian Deputy Trade Minister Adolfo Urso and MEP Cristiana Muscardini (EPP, Italy, deputy chairwoman of the Parliamentary committee on international trade). Ashton's proposal was discussed in the trade committee during the Parliament session in Strasbourg this week, but was not put to the vote and no resolution was taken on it.
Unlike the United States and China, the EU does not require the country of manufacture of a finished product to be indicated. The Commission proposal that just such a requirement be introduced, with the huge influx of Chinese textile goods during the 2005 “bra wars”, was opposed by several member states in Council and fell. A compulsory label of origin would, some said, just be an onerous administrative burden. Others claimed that protectionist motives lay behind the measure, since it would make it easier to boycott goods made in China or elsewhere.
The trade commissioner acknowledged these arguments and hoped that account had been taken of them. Draft regulation (SEC (2005) 1657) had not been withdrawn, but the Commission was restricting itself initially to a pilot scheme involving a selected number of products. A Commission source close to the matter said that a number of European manufacturers, including H&M, already use these labels of origin. The source acknowledged that the success of the scheme would depend on the importance attached by European consumers to where the goods they are buying come from, and their willingness to pay more for things “Made in Europe”. The scope of the project, and possible impact studies, will now be put to a policy debate in the 133 Committee, which oversees the Communities' international trade strategy. (C.D./transl.rt)