2008/0028 (COD)

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 294(7)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the European Parliament's amendment[s] to the Council's position regarding the proposal for a

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 and repealing Directives 87/250/EEC, 90/496/EEC, 1999/10/EC, 2000/13/EC, 2002/67/EC, 2008/5/EC and Regulation (EC) No 608/2004

1. Introduction

Article 294(7)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that the Commission is to deliver an opinion on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament at second reading. The Commission sets out its opinion below on the amendments proposed by the Parliament.

2. Background

Date of transmission of the proposal to the EP and the Council (document COM(2008) 40 final – 2008/0028(COD)): || 1 February 2008

Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee: || 18 September 2008

Date of the opinion of the European Parliament, first reading: || 16 June 2010

Date of transmission of the amended proposal: || none

Date of adoption of the Council position: || 21 February 2011

Date of the opinion of the European Parliament, second reading: || 6 July 2011

3. Objective of the proposal from the Commission

The proposal consolidates and updates two important areas of labelling legislation, the general food and nutrition labelling covered by Directives 2000/13/EC[1] and 90/496/EEC[2] respectively. The proposal recasts also six other Directives concerning the labelling of certain categories of foods. Some of the main objectives of the proposal were:

– The creation of a single instrument for principles and requirements for horizontal labelling requirements regarding general and nutrition labelling;

– To include specific provisions on the responsibilities along the food chain with respect to the presence and accuracy of food information;

– To establish measurable criteria for certain aspect of legibility of food labelling;

– To clarify the rules that apply with respect to country of origin or place of provenance labelling;

– To introduce mandatory nutrition labelling in the principal field of vision for the majority of processed foods.

4. Opinion of the Commission on the amendments by the European Parliament

The European Parliament voted in second reading a consolidated text which contains a number of amendments to the text of the Council Position at first reading. The text is the result of negotiations between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. The Commission accepts all the amendments voted by the Parliament, which are the result of interinstitutional negotiations which allowed a second reading agreement.

[1] Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (OJ L 109, 6.5.2000, p. 29).

[2] Council Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs (OJ L 276, 6.10.1990, p. 40).