A4-0037/97

Proposal for a Council Regulation regarding the labelling of beef and beef products (COM(96)0460 - C4-0546/96 - 96/0229(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Preamble

>Original text>

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

>Text following EP vote>

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

(Amendment 2)

Recital 1

>Original text>

Whereas in order to improve the information to consumers about consumer-relevant aspects of beef and beef products, a specific labelling system should be set up in the beef sector; whereas beef and beef products shall be taken to mean certain products referred to in Article 1(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal; whereas Member States may decide to extend the labelling system to other processed goods containing beef;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas in order to improve the information to consumers about consumer-relevant aspects of beef and beef products, to avoid misleading consumers and to protect public health, a specific labelling system should be set up in the beef sector; whereas beef and beef products shall be taken to mean certain products referred to in Article 1(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 805/68 of 27 June 1968 on the common organization of the market in beef and veal; whereas Member States should, within a reasonable period of time, harmonize the extension of the labelling system to other processed goods containing beef;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 2

>Original text>

Whereas such a labelling system should be facultative to operators and organizations marketing beef and beef products in the sense that operators and organizations wishing to label their beef and beef products shall do so in accordance with this regulation;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas such a labelling system should be compulsory for operators and organizations marketing beef and beef products; whereas compliance with this Regulation will ensure that this obligation is fulfilled;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 3a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the requirements made of a labelling system must satisfy minimum standards that conform to consumers' expectations and can be applied at points of sale; whereas the Member States must be free to prescribe requirements that exceed the provisions of this Regulation;

(Amendment 5)

Recital 6

>Original text>

Whereas operators and organizations importing beef and beef products from third countries into the Community may also wish to label their products according to this regulation; whereas provisions should thus be made for imported beef to be included in the labelling system; whereas these provisions must ensure that labelling arrangements relating to imported beef and beef products be of equivalent reliability as those set up for Community beef;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas operators and organizations importing beef and beef products from third countries into the Community should also label their products according to this regulation; whereas provisions should thus be made for imported beef to be included in the labelling system; whereas these provisions must ensure that labelling arrangements relating to imported beef and beef products be of equivalent reliability as those set up for Community beef;

(Amendment 6)

Article 1(1)

>Original text>

1. If an operator or an organization, as defined in Article 2, wishes to label beef or beef products in a detailed manner at the point of sale, it shall do so in accordance with this Regulation.

>Text following EP vote>

1. Operators or organizations, as defined in Article 2, selling beef or beef products shall label their products in accordance with this Regulation in a detailed manner at the point of sale.

(Amendment 7)

Article 2, first paragraph, second indent

>Original text>

- 'label¨ means a label attached to an individual piece or pieces of meat or to their packaging material, or information provided to the consumer at the point of sale,

>Text following EP vote>

- 'label¨ means a label attached to an individual piece or pieces of meat or to their packaging material, or information provided to the consumer at the point of sale; if the label is not attached to an individual piece or pieces of meat or to their packaging material, it shall be ensured that the information is shown to the consumer at the point of sale in an easily visible form,

(Amendment 8)

Article 2, second paragraph

>Original text>

Member States may decide to extend this system to processed goods containing products referred to in the first indent, including cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

>Text following EP vote>

Within one year from the entry into force of this Regulation, the system and the contents of labelling laid down by this Regulation shall be extended in an appropriate manner to processed goods containing beef and beef products.

(Amendment 9)

Article 3(1), third indent

>Original text>

- the control system which will be applied at all stages of production and sale, including controls to be carried out by an independent body to be nominated by the operator or the organization,

>Text following EP vote>

- the control system which will be applied at all stages of production and sale, including controls to be carried out by an independent body to be nominated by the operator or the organization from a list of organizations approved by the above-mentioned public authority,

(Amendment 10)

Article 3(4), first subparagraph

>Original text>

4. Where the competent authorities of all the Member States concerned approve the specifications submitted, the operator or organization concerned shall be entitled to label beef and beef products, provided that the label contains its name or logo.

>Text following EP vote>

4. Where the competent authorities of all the Member States concerned approve the specifications submitted, the operator or organization concerned shall label beef and beef products, provided that the label contains its name or logo.

(Amendment 11)

Article 4(1)

>Original text>

1. Where, in full or in part, the production of beef or beef products takes place in a third country, operators and organizations shall only be entitled to label beef and beef products according to this Regulation if, in addition to the observance of the requirements set out in Article 3, they have obtained approval of their specifications by the competent authority designated to this end by each third country concerned.

>Text following EP vote>

1. Where, in full or in part, the production of beef or beef products takes place in a third country, operators and organizations shall label beef and beef products according to this Regulation. In addition to the observance of the requirements set out in Article 3, they shall obtain prior approval of their specifications by the competent authority designated to this end by each third country concerned.

(Amendment 12)

Article 5(1), first indent

>Original text>

- Member State, region of a Member State or third country of birth, the sex of the animal,

>Text following EP vote>

- Member State, region of a Member State or third country of birth, sex, breed, and method of breeding of the animal,

(Amendment 13)

Article 5(1), indent 1a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

- any genetic engineering techniques performed on the embryo or transgenic origin of the animal,

(Amendment 14)

Article 5(1), indent 3a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

- other information on antibiotics and stimulants administered,

(Amendment 15)

Article 5(1), fourth indent

>Original text>

- Member States, regions of Member States or third countries where all, or at least 80%, of the fattening took place,

>Text following EP vote>

- Member States, regions of Member States or third countries where the fattening took place,

(Amendment 16)

Article 5(1a) (new)

>Text following EP vote>

1a. If beef from different countries of origin is available at a point of sale, the origin of each piece shall be evident from the labelling.

(Amendment 17)

Article 5(2)

>Original text>

2. Where beef and beef products contain meat from different animals is mixed, the label shall only contain information in accordance with paragraph 1 which is common to all such meat.

>Text following EP vote>

2. Where beef and beef products contain meat from different animals, the label shall contain information in accordance with paragraph 1 which is common to all such meat.

(Amendment 18)

Article 6a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Article 6a

Member States shall impose administrative and financial penalties on any party failing to comply with the requirements of this Regulation or not duly carrying out the prescribed checks on labelling procedures and content.

(Amendment 19)

Article 7a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Article 7a

Member States shall submit annual reports to the Commission on the implementation of this Regulation, the first of these reports to be submitted by 1 July 1998.

(Amendment 20)

Article 8

>Original text>

The Commission shall adopt detailed rules for the application of this Regulation in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 27 of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68. The detailed rules may cover, in particular, the information which may be contained on labels under Article 5.

>Text following EP vote>

By 1 April 1997 at the latest the Commission shall adopt detailed rules for the application of this Regulation in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 27 of Regulation (EEC) No 805/68. The detailed rules may cover, in particular, the information which may be contained on labels under Article 5.

(Amendment 21)

Article 9, second paragraph

>Original text>

It shall apply from 1 January 1997.

>Text following EP vote>

It shall apply from 1 July 1997.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation regarding the labelling of beef and beef products (COM(96)0460 - C4-0546/96 - 96/0229(CNS))

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, (COM(96)0460 - 96/0229(CNS)) ((OJ C 349, 20.11.1996, p. 14.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0546/96),

- whereas the legal basis proposed by the Commission is not appropriate, and reference should be made to Articles 189b and 100a of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the opinions of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights (A4-0037/97),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to incorporate Parliament's amendments in the common position that it adopts in accordance with Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty;

4. Should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament, calls on the Council to notify Parliament and requests that the conciliation procedure be initiated;

5. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

6. Points out that the Commission is required to submit to Parliament any modification it may intend to make to its proposal as amended by Parliament;

7. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.