Brussels, 16/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - “Made in the EU” may soon appear on non-food items sold in the EU if the EU Council of Ministers agrees to the demands made by the European Parliament in plenary session in the evening of Tuesday 15 April. MEPs said yes in first reading to the introduction in the EU of a compulsory label of origin for consumer goods circulating in the single market, along with greater safety standards for products and increased surveillance when they endorsed by a wide majority the draft legislation on product safety and market surveillance that are currently in deadlock at the Council because of the labelling of country of origin (Article 7 of the draft directive on product safety), which is opposed by countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland (see EUROPE 10976).
EP rapporteur on product safety Christel Schaldemose (S&D, Denmark) said this was a great step forwards for transparency in the supply chain and progress for consumers. Her report was endorsed by 485 votes to 130, and 27 abstentions. She regretted that the member states have for months now not yet been able to reach agreement.
Rapporteur on market surveillance Sirpa Pietikaïnen (EPP, Finland), whose report was endorsed by 573 votes to 18 and 52 abstentions, welcomed this major step towards more robust, coordinated and risk-based pan-European surveillance.
The MEPs say that the “Made in” labelling should apply to virtually all products sold in the single market bar a few exceptions, like medicines. European manufacturers will have the choice of putting “Made in the EU” or “Made in …. (their country)” in order to improve the traceability of the 10% of products that surveillance authorities cannot find at present. Manufacturers manufacturing or assembling goods in a number of countries must put the country where the final substantial working on a new product or an important stage in the manufacturing of a product was done.
The EP calls for proportionate and dissuasive sanctions when the rules are broken and for the drawing up of a blacklist of “regular offenders”, companies that deliberately flout EU product safety rules. The next European Parliament will need to continue the negotiations with the Council of Ministers. (AN)