EU Agricultural Ministers, meeting on 15-16 December in Brussels, are not expected to be able to adopt unanimous conclusions on front-of-pack nutrition labelling, nutrient profiles and origin labelling for goods.
Therefore, the most likely option at this stage would be the adoption of the German EU Council Presidency’s conclusions, instead of Council conclusions. But we haven’t heard the last from the German Presidency. It is expected to submit a new version of the text to the EU Agricultural Ministers.
The version of the draft, as seen by EUROPE, states that the Council welcomes the European Commission's intention to bring forward a proposal for front-of-pack nutrition labelling to enable consumers “to make healthier choices, given the increase in disease and people who are overweight and obese”.
But Italy and others (Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Romania) contested this draft text, which they considered too favourable to the Nutri-Score (colours and letters on the nutritional value of a product).
The draft text supports the introduction of a harmonised EU-wide nutrition labelling system. In particular, these countries request the exclusion of products under geographical indications.
The draft also welcomes the Commission's intention to resume the complex discussions to establish nutrient profiles as part of the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy and, if possible, to carry out this work alongside the development of a harmonised EU-wide system on nutrition labelling.
The Council should adopt conclusions on a European animal welfare label without any difficulties. A label for food produced according to higher animal welfare standards than those laid down in EU legislation “could meet consumer demand for such foods to be easily recognisable”, according to the draft text (https://bit.ly/2W3VxQe ). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)