OPINION OF THE COMMISSIONpursuant 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 COUNCILon 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
Date: 2011-07-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: consumer information, consumer protection, foodstuff, labelling, public health

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 27.7.2011 
COM(2011) 475 final 

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 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
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 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
 
 
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/EC1  and 
90/496/EEC2 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 

2 

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

EN 

3 

   EN