Brussels, 03/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Competitiveness Council in Brussels on Monday 2 December noted that no progress has been made on the legislative package - on product safety and market monitoring - and trialogue negotiations on two complementary draft regulations are not yet ready to start, after the Lithuanian Presidency had briefed the ministers on progress and a number of countries had spoken (see EUROPE 10974). Despite the Presidency's efforts in an expert working group, there is not yet agreement on compulsory labelling of the country of origin (Article 7 of the draft directive on product safety).
Some delegations (mainly countries in southern Europe) say that the measure is important because it would make products more traceable and provide consumers with more information, but other countries, mainly in the north, say that the measure is not needed and would jeopardise competitiveness by simply adding to red tape and being a burden on companies.
The Lithuanian Presidency still hopes that, with the aid of the European Commission, differences can be overcome and an agreement reached in first reading on the two regulations before the European elections in May 2014.
At the debate open to the public, only three delegations spoke. Germany stated its opposition to Article 7, while Italy and Portugal spoke in favour of the 'made in' clause.
Industry and Enterprise Commissioner Antonio Tajani, who is responsible for the draft regulation on market surveillance, said that the Commission was open to good, constructive compromise offers. He said it was important to reach agreement within the current European Parliament to show people that the EU institutions were not just machines churning out bureaucracy.
Consumer Policy Commissioner Neven Mimica, who is responsible for the regulation on product safety, stressed the advantage of Article 7 and told ministers that the two draft regulations were part of the Single Market Act II, unveiled in October 2012 that the member states have pledged to introduce to ensure expansion of growth potential in the EU.
The two draft regulations were unveiled by the Commission on 13 February and aim to boost the safety of non-food consumer goods in the single market, and increase surveillance of the consumer markets. They will continue to be discussed as a package. In October, the European Parliament was given a negotiating mandate for talks with the Council of Ministers with a view to reaching a first reading agreement, something Council of Ministers has rejected (see EUROPE 10945). (AN/transl.fl)