BELGIUM: European Commission to advance new meat labelling legislation this Autumn

Record ID: 187234

  • Title: BELGIUM: European Commission to advance new meat labelling legislation this Autumn
  • Date: 25th February 2013
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EU COUNCIL STREET OF BRUSSELS AT NIGHT
  • Embargoed: 12th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Business,European Union,Health,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8XJR8Z9O04S9JT3LP2YCLVO2
  • Story Text: The European Commission is to advance new legislation on meat labelling based on conclusion of a report this Autumn.

    European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg said on Monday (February 25) that the issue of meat labelling would be discussed in a report to be released this Autumn.
    Borg said the European Commission would then propose new legislation based on the report's findings and the level of support among member states.
    "There is nothing wrong according to some member states, and I have an open mind on this, to grasp the opportunity of this blow to consumer confidence in the food chain to introduce stringent legislation also on place of origin. We expect to advance the report on his issue by three months, so that by the beginning of autumn we should have this report submitted to us, and then we'll take action on the basis of this report. Because this is a complex issue as to decide what is a place of origin, where is the animal slaughter, where was it born, the impact on the internal market and the costs involved," Borg said, speaking at the conclusion of an agricultural ministers' meeting.
    The ministers were meeting to negotiate reforms to the Common Agriculture Policy, but the discovery of horsemeat in Swedish-produced beef balls put discussions on how to restore confidence in the EU food industry at the top of the agenda.
    The European-wide horsemeat scandal erupted last month when tests carried out in Ireland revealed some beef products also contained horsemeat. The scandal then spread further and has triggered recalls of ready meals and damaged confidence in Europe's vast and complex food industry.
    At a special summit after the scandal broke, European Union governments approved an EU-wide DNA testing program on beef products to assess the scale of the food scandal involving mislabelled horsemeat.
    The initial one-month testing plan will also check horsemeat for potentially harmful drug residues. Initial results from the test are expected by mid-April.
    The discovery on Monday (February 25) of horsemeat in Ikea meatballs prompted the world's largest furniture retailer to withdraw batches of meatballs in 13 countries.
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