Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council regarding the mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for meat used as an ingredient

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers (hereinafter, 'the FIC Regulation'), which will enter into application on 13 December 2014, introduces a set of provisions on origin labelling of prepacked foods intended for supply to the final consumer or to mass caterers. Article 26(6) of the FIC Regulation requires the Commission to submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council concerning the possibility to extend mandatory origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient in prepacked foods.

The present report meets this obligation. It covers meat of all species (e.g. beef, pigmeat, poultry, sheep and goat meat, game, rabbit meat, horse meat) used as an ingredient in prepacked foods.

The main goals of this report are the following:
– To assess consumers' attitude towards mandatory origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient;
– To examine the feasibility of such labelling; and,
– To analyse the costs and benefits of the introduction of such measures, including the legal impact on the internal market and the impact on international trade.

It is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document, which provides detailed information underpinning the conclusions set out herein.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)755: Follow the progress of this report through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:755:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)437: Origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient: consumers' attitude, feasibility of possible scenarios and impacts http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:437:FIN

ESO: Background information: Food: Commission tables report to launch debate on mandatory origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-food-commission-tables-report-to-launch-debate-on-mandatory-origin-labelling-for-meat-used-as-an-ingredient/

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