Brussels, 30/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The German presidency of the EU Council of Ministers said after the meeting of the Special Committee on Agriculture on Tuesday 29 May that there was a substantial qualified majority of member states backing the proposal on labelling of names under which calf meat is sold, an issue that has been under negotiation since September 2006. EU agriculture ministers will probably adopt the new regulation at their next meeting in Luxembourg on 11 June.
The compromise, which is close to the European Commission's original proposal and which has also been influenced by some of the European Parliament's amendments (see EUROPE 9387), sets out two clear sales descriptions based on age at slaughter: category “V” for animals slaughtered between zero and eight months and category “Z” for animals slaughtered between eight and twelve months. For the first category, the sales description will always use “veal”, while for the second, operators will have to use “young bovine”. It will no longer be possible, then, to use the terms “veal” and “calf meat” for meat from animals over twelve months. At each stage of production and marketing, operators will be required to put on the labels: - the letter identifying the category (“V” for animals aged eight months or younger, and “Z” for animals aged between eight and twelve months); - the sales description (veal or young bovine); - and the age of the animal at slaughter.
The compromise text does not offer the possibility of exemption from these labelling rules to those countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark) which called for it. In addition, only those products which have a registered designation of origin or a protected geographical indication before the regulation comes into force will be able to use a different calf meat labelling system. (lc)