Brussels, 02/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Assembly of the European Union for the Trade in cattle and meat has strongly criticised the labeling system for beef as is results from the compromise reached by the last EU Agricultural Council ."The cattle and meat trade and industry does not understand that a European institution can ignore the functioning of the single market, by rejecting the wording "EU" on the label of meat stemming from an animal having moved freely around several Member States", says a press release, recalling that 30 to 40% of European beef production comes from animals born, reared and slaughtered in different Member States. The General Assembly also denounces the accumulation of compulsory mentions that overload the labeling, without participating either in the traceablity of the product or consumer information. It goes on to say that it is particularly regrettable that ministers did not follow the European Parliament by abolishing the obligation to indicate the category of animal from which the meat comes. Likewise for the list of numbered approved establishments that consumers will have to decode. The General Assembly considers that simplicity and efficiency demand that only the approval number of the last establishment having elaborated the product be retained.