Brussels, 17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Given Council hesitation, MEPs object to the Commission's plans to withdraw the proposed “made in” regulation pertaining to third country imports.
In a joint resolution of the six main political groups, adopted in plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday 17 January, the Parliament maintains its claim that the EU must make it compulsory for “made in” labels to be used on goods imported from third countries. MEPs object to withdrawing the Commission's draft regulation on labels of origin that the Parliament had largely supported in 2010, and calls on the European Executive to reconsider its proposal or to table an alternative.
During the debate prior to the vote, Commissioner Karel De Gucht confirmed his wish to withdraw the proposal tabled in 2006 by the Commission, on which the 27 member states are unable to reach common ground in Council. He stressed it was obvious that no clear majority would be found in Council in the near future.
MEPs taking the floor during the debate largely agreed on the idea that only compulsory “made in” labels would allow consumers to make informed choices. Several, such as Marielle de Sarnez (ALDE, France), underlined that other trading powers such as Brazil, China and the United States, have such systems. Cristiana Muscardini (ECR, Italy), who is the rapporteur on this issue, said: “We cannot have double standards in a globalised market. We must ensure that the rules are fair, for our citizens, consumers and manufacturers”.
The chairman of the international trade committee, Vital Moreira (S&D, Portugal), took the view that the initial goal had been “to prevent the use of false or misleading labels, so as to put us on an equal footing with our trade partners”. Other MEPs mentioned the particular interest shown by multinationals in certain large member states not to use labels of origin or to use misleading labels to cover up environmental or social dumping maters. Yannick Jadot (Greens/EFA, France) said (our translation): “The label of origin is a necessary tool to ensure transparency for European consumers. It allows health and safety to be reinforced and the protection of social rights and the environment. It also allows European products to take on greater value, mainly those produced by SMEs. The Commission and Council must understand that exiting the crisis means combating social and environmental dumping and demonstrating that Europe protects and does not give way to pressure from multinationals”.
The Commission is invited to propose a revised text on “made in” labels, in line with recent WTO rules. The Appellate Body of the WTO states it is willing to consider rules of origin in the context of rules applicable to technical barriers to trade, De Gucht states. (EH/transl.jl)