Food labelling
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EU Parliament strengthens quality safeguards on traditional European foods
Est. 4minThe final version of the revised regulation on Geographical Indications (GIs), approved on Wednesday (28 February), boosts protections for food products and producers, though the Greens criticised the lack of mandatory environmental commitments.
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EFSA chief shares inconvenient truths about sustainable food, Green Deal
Est. 6minTopics such as the changing of food habits and who bears the cost for the transition are politically sensitive and are not addressed in the debate on sustainable food systems, said EFSA director Bernhard Url, who is expected to leave in May after 10 years at the helm of the Authority.
![The EU institutions agreed on new labelling rules improving the transparency on the origin of honey.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/shutterstock_2156443559-800x450.jpg)
Parliament, member states strike deal on ‘breakfast directive’ to combat food fraud
Est. 4minThe Parliament and member states struck a deal on the so-called breakfast directive, which includes measures improving the transparency on the origin of the bees’ product. Honey is one of the most adulterated foods.
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Commission convinced on ability to stringently assess risks, safety of lab-grown meat
Est. 3minResponding to the concerns of a majority of member states on the potential impacts of the technology, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said that the EU is on “very solid ground” when it comes to risk assessment and labelling.
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Belgium puts Nutriscore labelling back on EU agenda
Est. 3minBelgium's EU Council presidency will hold a scientific symposium in April on the controversial nutritional labelling of food to “share experiences” on the system, reopening the debate between member states that use it and those opposing its adoption at the EU level.
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Chocolate wars as Italian artisans battle Swiss giant
Est. 4minTurin's famed gianduiotto, a small, creamy chocolate that melts on the tongue, is at the centre of a battle for European recognition pitting Italian artisans against Swiss giant Lindt.
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‘Champagne of beers’ falls foul of French protections
Est. 2minBelgian customs have destroyed almost 2,400 cans of US-brewed beer bearing the slogan "The Champagne of Beers", France's Champagne Committee said Tuesday (18 April), in the latest episode around the bubbly's fiercely-protected designation.
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German agri minister slammed for leaving livestock measures up to EU
Est. 4minGermany's agriculture ministry is not doing enough to restructure animal husbandry and relies too much on possible EU-level steps, Socialist agriculture lawmakers wrote in a joint paper released Tuesday (31 January).
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Italy seeks dialogue with Ireland in wine label row
Est. 5minItalians have not given up on opposing Ireland’s plan to introduce cancer warnings on wine bottles, hoping to switch the Irish government representatives to milder positions by approaching them in Brussels.
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Solution to food labelling puzzle to be found under Swedish presidency
Est. 5minThe European Commission and EU lawmakers will keep putting together all the pieces of the complex front-of-pack food labelling puzzle during the upcoming Swedish EU Council presidency after little progress was reached under the Czech one.
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Italy’s new agriculture minister reaffirms stance against colour-coded labelling
Est. 4minAt the first meeting with his EU counterparts, the new Italian agriculture minister reiterated the arguments against the French colour-coded nutritional label Nutri-score as the forthcoming EU-wide food labelling scheme.
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GIs will not be treated as ‘trademark’, EU intellectual property head says
Est. 6minGeographical indications (GIs) will not lose features that make them different from other Intellectual Property (IP) rights by moving competencies from the European Commission to the EU’s intellectual property office (EUIPO), its head told EURACTIV in an interview.
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German animal welfare label risks distorting EU market, critics say
Est. 5minThe German cabinet approved Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir's bill for a mandatory animal welfare label on Wednesday (12 October), but the opposition and farming associations warn of inconsistencies within the EU single market.
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The future of alcohol labelling in Europe
Est. 1minThe last half of the European legislative term will be crucial for the future of alcohol labelling as the EU executive is expected to come up with important proposals on the matter.
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Alcohol sector goes all in on e-labels amid mixed signals from EU
Est. 5minActions at the policy level and several initiatives pulled together by the alcohol industry point at digital means of conveying more information to consumers, but scepticism from part of the European Commission persists.
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Farm certification schemes could make the CAP greener
Est. 5minEuropean certifications could help the EU achieve its environmental ambitions, a recent study showed, though the findings raised questions among MEPs who expressed concern over quality controls and the impacts on farmers.
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Top EU court backs Greece against Denmark in closure of feta export saga
Est. 4minThe European Court of Justice confirmed on Thursday (14 July) that the EU's protection for feta cheese also applies outside the bloc's borders in a much-awaited ruling that settles a long-standing cheese fight between Greece and Denmark.
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German minister presents plans for mandatory animal welfare label
Est. 5minEvery product produced and sold in Germany will soon have to indicate the conditions under which animals were kept, according to plans presented by German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir on Tuesday (7 June). EURACTIV Germany reports.
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EU unveils revision of food quality scheme amid push to change the minimum
Est. 6minThe latest revamping of the EU’s geographical indications (GIs) policy was marked as "an evolution" without substantial changes but still ruffled the feathers of food producers and some member states, who would have liked to preserve the status quo of the framework.
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Austria tries to force-feed origin label to EU farm ministers
Est. 4minWhile Austrian Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger was keen to put the question of a mandatory origin label on the table of this week’s informal ministerial meeting in Strasbourg, participants said it did not make the cut.
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Germany favours ‘pragmatic’ approach to animal welfare labelling
Est. 6minGermany's agriculture ministry wants to approach the implementation of a national animal husbandry label "step by step", while also pushing an origin label at the EU level. EURACTIV Germany reports.
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MEPs concerned by ‘trademark’ approach for new geographical indications rules
Est. 4minEuropean lawmakers expressed concerns over a change of course in the EU's geographical indications (GIs) policy, drifting away from current rules and particularly European Commission supervision.
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France might drop support for Nutri-score, say Italians
Est. 4minThe French government is mulling over the possibility of not backing the French colour-coded nutritional label Nutri-score as the new EU-wide food labelling scheme, according to Italy's agriculture minister.
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Champagne makers mark first win in ‘Champanillo’ legal battle after EU court ruling
Est. 4minThe European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the EU's protected designation of origin (PDO) for foodstuff and drinks extends to services, allowing the French champagne lobby to carry off a tactical win in a legal battle against a small Spanish restaurant chain.