Brussels, 10/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - Simplifying marketing standards, keeping consumers better informed especially by including the country of origin on product labels, and providing better protection for European quality products at international level - these are suggestions of the European Parliament, which adopted by a large majority (547 to 37 and 49 abstentions) in Strasbourg on Tuesday 10 March the own-initiative report by Maria Petre (EPP-ED, Romania) on “ensuring food quality: harmonisation or mutual recognition of standards”. The report was adopted without any changes being made compared to the text voted in EP agriculture committee (see EUROPE 9843).
The European Union has the highest food production standards in the world and consumers, who are keen on their gastronomical heritage, show a keen interest not only in food safety but also in the origin of food and in food production methods. Heightened competition from third countries (mainly emergent countries) and the dominance of large-scale retailers on the food market exert ever-growing pressure on European food producers.
In response to the recent European Commission Green Paper on the quality of primary products, MEPs are taking a stance in favour of indicating the place of production of primary products on a country of origin label and, in the case of processed products, the origin of the main ingredients and raw materials with specification of their place of origin as well as the place of final processing. Such labelling should, they say, be valid not only for European products but also for those imported from third countries. It would, the EP states, be useful to adopt rules governing the use of mentions such as “mountain” or “island” production.
MEPs are in favour of simplifying the procedure for registration of geographic indications of origin and for a reduction in the time required to obtain such indications. They also recommend measures to enhance international protection of geographic indications. In particular, a multilateral register of protected indications should be set up and products exported “exposed to the risk of usurpation” should be able to benefit from international protection at the WTO, MEPs say. Finally, they call for the creation of a “European Quality Agency” to closely cooperate with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and services concerned at the European Commission. The agency would be mainly responsible for processing third country requests for registration as protected indications of origin. (L.C./transl.jl)