Mr President, Commissioner Byrne, ladies and gentlemen, we are now going about the amending of Directive 2013/EC on the indication of the ingredients present in foodstuffs, which is a significant step towards maximising consumer protection in the states of Europe. The fundamental change in eating habits and the resultant transformation of the way food is produced and processed – for who, after all, still washes their own vegetables or still cooks according to basic recipes? – mean that ready-produced food constitutes an increasing part of our diet. There must be a political response to this in the form of new rules to improve consumer safety. People with allergic reactions to certain ingredients must also be enabled to recognise with certainty from the packaging when substances dangerous to them are present. Already, 8% of adults in the European Union, and 3% of children, suffer from allergies, the effects of which can range from respiratory illnesses to life-threatening symptoms. Only the avoidance of the foods that are hazardous to them can give these people a high degree of security, and so there is an urgent need for notification of ingredients that trigger allergies. In labelling, there is a need to strike a balance between practical and clear identification on the one hand and the consumers' justified demand for complete information on the other. The Commission proposal provides a good basis for doing this. What is particularly important from the consumers' point of view is to tighten up on the exceptions to the requirement for labelling, with the dropping of the 25% rule deserving particular mention. But the completely new and most attention-grabbing thing in the amendment of the directive is, for me, the list of allergenic substances based on the Codex Alimentarius. This report proposes for the first time that the presence of allergenic substances must always, and without exception, be indicated. This list of allergenic substances must, though, be constantly monitored so that current scientific knowledge can be incorporated. Parliament must act together with the European Food Safety Authority and the Commission to find a way to keep this list constantly up to date. As I see it, this means that it must be possible to add new substances, but it must also be possible, in the light of new knowledge, to delete others. I therefore strongly urge support for my amendment on the continuous monitoring of the list. The interpretation of this list, to be found in Annex III, requires detailed guidelines. What, for example, is meant when nuts are mentioned? What products are meant by the reference to crustaceans? Does that include snails? Having dropped the 25% rule, the Commission proposes minor derogations to the requirement for labelling, these being in the order of 5% and 2%. These apply, on the one hand, to foodstuffs on which there are already Community regulations, such as chocolate, sauce and mustard preparations and to foodstuffs such as milk, that do not require a list of ingredients. An exception is made for mixtures of spices or herbs constituting less than 2% of the finished product. Seasonal variations in supply make it particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises to be enabled to react speedily to changes in market conditions by means of the use of the clause with the phrase ‘contains ....... and/or .............’. Contrary to what some critics have said, all the concessions I have referred to do not mean that consumer protection is being weakened, but constitute a sensible arrangement and an alternative to the 25% rule, which has been dropped. This does not affect the fundamental requirement that the presence of all allergenic substances be indicated on the label. I have gone into labelling in great depth and also got to grips with its practical implementation. In all this, we must not forget that labelling must not disorient the consumer, but must be clear, distinct, and, in the final analysis, legible. Taken as a whole, the Commission proposal improves consumer protection in the European Union and offers consumers greater transparency and more information. Current difficulties, in particular, mean that it sends an important signal to the people of Europe. Let me conclude by thanking most warmly all those who have helped and supported me. I would be delighted if the amendments I have put forward were to meet with the approval of a large majority of Members of this House. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE