You're listening to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcast on mandatory

origin labelling schemes in Member States.

Eight EU Member States have launched or about to launch national mandatory labelling

schemes for certain food products such as milk and meat used in processed foods.

The European Parliament and consumer organisations have supported origin labelling,

but industry stakeholders warn about red tape and additional costs,

while the Commission maintains that voluntary origin labelling may be the best option at European level.

Want to know more? Stay with us. Indicating the country of origin is

obligatory for certain foodstuffs such as fresh fruit and vegetables, fish products, honey, olive oil,

eggs and beef and beef products. And since 2015, it's also obligatory for unprocessed meat

of swine, sheep, goat and poultry.

A special category are foodstuffs covered by quality schemes, such as the protected designation of origin or the protected geographical indication,

which aim at protecting and promoting local products of excellence.

Applicable since the end of 2014, the regulation and food information to consumers allows Member States to adopt additional national measures concerning the mandatory labelling of foodstuffs, as long as these are justified by reasons defined in the regulation.

Current rules also allow Member States to adopt additional mandatory labelling for specific foods for reasons linked to the protection of public health and

consumers or to prevent fraud.

Over the past two and a half years, 80 EU member states have made use of the possibility to set

mandatory requirements in their national legislation for food business operators to indicate

the country of origin of the raw material they use in their dairy or meat products.

And while these moves have generally been welcomed by consumer and farmer organisations in the

countries concerned, others see them as protective measures intended to promote national

products which could undermine the single market.

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