Parliament loses out over beef labelling

Date: 20/03/1997

By Michael Mann

MEPS have attacked a decision by EU farm ministers to overturn a proposal which would have given the European Parliament joint decision-making powers on an agricultural issue for the first time.

The move is also certain to severely embarrass the European Commission, which had proposed giving Euro MPs an unprecedented say over its proposals on beef labelling as part of its efforts to head off the threat of censure for its handling of the BSE crisis.

Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, vice-president of the Parliament's agriculture committee, said: “This affront against the Parliament is certain to cause conflict. I do not think we can launch a legal challenge, but we will certainly increase the political pressure to get co-decision in the agricultural field.”

After lengthy negotiations, ministers agreed new rules on cattle identification and a compulsory labelling system for all beef sold in EU shops.

Despite initial opposition from the UK, Ireland and Italy, Dutch minister Jozias van Aartsen eventually found a formula which could be adopted unanimously.

This allowed the rules to be agreed under Article 43 of the EU treaty, which only requires the Parliament to be consulted - overturning Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler's attempts to change the basis of the proposal to Article 100a, under which MEPs would have been granted equal power with EU governments to shape the final deal.

Fischler's controversial change of heart came shortly before last month's parliamentary vote on the committee of inquiry's report on BSE. Insiders believe he was not personally keen on the idea but had his hand forced by Commission President Jacques Santer, who was afraid that the Parliament would take the Draconian step of dismissing the whole Commission.

This week's defeat for the Commission does not bode well for Santer's efforts to secure a greater involvement for MEPs in agricultural policy-making.

It also seems certain to bring Parliament into direct confrontation with the Council of Ministers at a time when the relationship between the different institutions is under particular scrutiny as the 'end game' of the Intergovernmental Conference approaches.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a growing feeling in national capitals that a deal had to be reached rapidly if consumer confidence in beef was to be restored. Involving MEPs in the full 'co-decision' procedure would probably have delayed the measures by up to six months.

Under this week's deal, from the year 2000, all beef sold in EU shops will have to carry a label giving details of where the animal from which it came was born, fattened and slaughtered.

To win over both the UK and Italian governments, a final compromise included an opt-out clause allowing member states to apply the system voluntarily to domestically-produced beef sold on their own territory.