WRITTEN QUESTION E-1241/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Food labelling

What information is required by European law to be provided on food labels in all Member States?

What discretion do individual Member States have to insist upon additional information being provided?

What additional requirements for compulsory display of information in all Member States are currently being prepared?

What assessment has been made by the Commission of the degree to which consumers are able to understand the information that is provided?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(12 May 2003)

Article 3 of Directive 2000/13/EC(1) lists the particulars which are compulsory in the labelling of foodstuffs.

These are as follows:

1. the name under which the product is sold;

2. the list of ingredients;

3. the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients as provided for in Article 7;

4. in the case of prepackaged foodstuffs, the net quantity;

5. the date of minimum durability or, in the case of foodstuffs which, from the microbiological point of view, are highly perishable, the use by date;

6. any special storage conditions or conditions of use;

7. the name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packager, or of a seller established within the Community;

8. particulars of the place of origin or provenance where failure to give such particulars might mislead the consumer to a material degree as to the true origin or provenance of the foodstuff;

9. instructions for use when it would be impossible to make appropriate use of the foodstuff in the absence of such instructions;

10. with respect to beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, the actual alcoholic strength by volume.

The Directive also states that Community provisions applicable to specified foodstuffs and not to foodstuffs in general may provide that other particulars in addition to those included in the above list must appear on the labelling.

In certain restricted cases, Member States may also make such provisions where they are justified, in accordance with Article 18 of the Directive, for reasons of protection of public health, fraud prevention or protection of indications or brands.

The Commission must be notified of such measures, and they must be examined in application of the procedure provided for in Article 19 of the Directive.

With regard to additional labelling requirements, the Commission, in line with the White Paper on food safety in January 2000, submitted to Parliament and the Council a proposal to amend Directive 2000/13/EC to provide more precise details concerning the ingredients contained in foodstuffs, in particular to take account of food allergies and intolerances. This proposal is currently being examined by Parliament at second reading. The Commission is also, together with all interested parties, considering adapting the provisions on nutrition labelling.

In addition, at the end of 2002 the Commission began an evaluation of legislation on the labelling of foodstuffs, which includes the question of clarity of information. The conclusions of this evaluation will be available at the end of 2003 and will allow preparatory work to begin on updating the general provisions on labelling.

(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.