Dietary foods proposals not going down too well

Date: 06/03/1997

By Simon Coss

DEADLOCK between Union governments and the European Parliament is delaying progress on rules governing the manufacture of foods for people with special dietary needs.

The impasse means that the issue will almost certainly not appear on the final agenda for next week's meeting of internal market ministers as originally planned.

The dispute centres on the definition of which sorts of products should be categorised as 'dietary foodstuffs'. The Parliament says preparations made for people with diabetes should be covered, but the Council of Ministers disagrees.

Governments point to the latest scientific evidence which indicates the best way for diabetics to control their diets is to select normal foodstuffs carefully rather than relying on special preparations.

They say that it is more important to introduce clear guidelines for the manufacture of 'sporting' foods - products designed for athletes training for major competitions.

The European Commission is caught between the two sides.

Commissioner Martin Bangemann, whose Directorate-General for industry (DGIII) drafted the original dietary food proposals several years ago, has already told the Parliament that diabetic products would come under the scope of any new rules.

If he goes back on this pledge and changes his proposals to appease ministers, the Parliament will be less than pleased. In any case, the Commission has made it clear that it has no desire to give the impression that it reneges on promises.

But if Bangemann does not amend the proposal, then it will come up against a brick wall in Council.

“We are in a difficult situation here, if we try to please one side then we anger the other,” said one official.

Ministers could throw out Bangemann's proposal, but only if they agree to do so unanimously which seems unlikely given that at least one member state disagrees.

“There is one country where diabetic food is almost a cult - Germany,” explained an expert.