On 30 September, the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) and SpiritsEurope (spirit drinks) jointly launched a new platform called U-Label.
From 1 November 2021, this will allow all wine and spirits companies to create digital labels and to provide consumers with information in their own language, such as list of ingredients, nutrition information, responsible drinking guidelines and information about sustainability.
Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Secretary General of CEEV, says that this multilingual tool has been launched “over two years before new labelling rules become a legal obligation under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy”. The U-Label system will be tested in depth by fifteen companies from different countries and of various sizes.
Ulrich Adam, SpiritsEurope Director General, calls on the European Commission to “follow suit and set standards for digital labelling across product types, not to substitute but to complement on-pack information with what consumers are looking for”.
Claire Bury, the Deputy Director General for Health at the European Commission, said that it was crucial to “work together towards a new and harmonised frame for the labelling of all alcoholic beverages”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)