WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1763/97 by Jan MULDER to the Commission. Compulsory national labelling scheme for beef and veal in France
Date: 1997-05-14
Institutions: European Parliament, MULDER
Subjects: France, application of EU law, approximation of laws, beef, consumer information, intra-EU trade, labelling, originating product

C 76/54

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 3. 98

(98/C 76/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1763/97

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 May 1997)

Subject: Compulsory national labelling scheme for beef and veal in France

France has announce that as of 1 June 1997 beef and veal will be subject to compulsory labelling (in particular to
identify its origin). The Council of European Agriculture Ministers reached a policy agreement on 19 March
1997 on an EC Regulation on the identification and registration of bovine livestock and on the labelling of beef
and veal and beef and veal products. Article 19(5) of that regulation lays down the condition that a Member State
must obtain prior approval from the European Commission before introducing compulsory labelling. Nor may
any compulsory national labelling scheme lead to distortions in trade between Member States.

1.
Has France sought the European Commission(cid:146)s approval for introducing compulsory labelling as of 1 June
1997? If not, will the European Commission draw France(cid:146)s attention to the requirement laid down in Article
19(5) of the forthcoming EC regulation?

If France has submitted such a scheme to the European Commission for its approval, will the Commission

2.
grant its approval? If so, for what reasons?

3.

Is the Commission aware whether other Member States have announced national labelling schemes?

4.
If the Commission gives its approval for national labelling schemes, what action will it take to prevent
distortions  in  trade  between  Member  States?  Were  such  distortions  to  arise  in  practice,  has  the  Commission
appropriate mechanisms at its disposal enabling it to intervene?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 1997)

1.
As of 15 May 1997, France has sought the Commission’s approval for introducing a compulsory labelling
scheme for beef in accordance with Directive 83/189 (1), relating to non-harmonised legislation established by a
Member State. This application was made before Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 establishing a system for
the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products (2) was
adopted by the Council.

The  Commission  has  informed  France  that  Directive  83/189  concerns  non-harmonised  legislation
2.
established by a Member State and therefore, regarding the labelling of beef, this directive is no longer applicable
since there are now harmonised Community rules for labelling of beef.

Up until 15 May 1997, no other Member States have announced the introduction of compulsory labelling

3.
systems for beef.

4.
Article 19 (4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97 states that Member States where there is a sufficiently
developed  identification  and  registration  system  for  bovine  animals  may  before  1  January  2000  impose  a
compulsory  labelling  system  for  beef  but  only  for  animals  born,  fattened  and  slaughtered  on  their  territory.
However, such a system shall require prior approval from the Commission and must not, according to Article
19 (5), lead to any disruptions of trade between the Member States.

According to Article 169 EC Treaty, if the Commission considers that a Member State has failed to fulfil an
obligation  under  the  Treaty,  it  shall  deliver  a  reasoned  opinion  on  the  matter  after  giving  the  Member  State
concerned the opportunity to submit its observations. If the Member State does not comply with the opinion
within the period laid down by the Commission, the latter may bring the matter before the Court of justice.

(1)  OJ L 109, 26.4.1983.
(2)  OJ L 117, 7.5.1997.