Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will report on the status, including providing the dates of meetings, of the interdepartmental or agency group set up to progress implementation of the recommendations of the consumer liaison panel in regard to food labelling and food prices; when the recommendations of the panel in regard to food labelling will be implemented; the recommendations of the panel in regard to food labelling that have yet to be implemented; the problems that need to be overcome before such recommendations are implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3771/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In 2002 the Department's consumer liaison panel highlighted consumer concerns about food labelling. Subsequently, the food labelling group was established in July 2002 to examine the matter and to come forward with recommendations by the end of the year. The group, which was widely representative of the major stakeholders in the food chain, such as consumer interests, industry, Departments and agencies, presented its report to the Department in December 2002. An interdepartmental and agency committee to progress the recommendations contained in the report was established in April 2003 and met on five occasions. At its final meeting on 3 February 2004, the committee agreed that there was no need for further meetings of that committee as substantial progress had been made on the implementation of the food labelling group's recommendations and the remaining matters were being pursued by the appropriate agencies.

As regards the recommendations of the group, the position is that all recommendations except two have been fully addressed. The outstanding issues related to labelling of origin at certain outlets and the definition of substantial transformation. As regards the former, all beef sold or served in the retail or catering sector is now required by law to carry an indication of country of origin.

The primary legislation enacted by the Oireachtas last year, under which our beef labelling requirements on country of origin were extended to the catering sector, also allows for the extension of country of origin labelling to other meats. However, because different origin labelling requirements apply to other meats in the retail sector under current EU legislation, and different systems of traceability are in operation, coupled with some import-export complexities, the situation is not as straightforward as it is for beef. The European Commission has opposed member states introducing legislation in this area that is in excess of common EU requirements. Nonetheless, my Department has been involved in consultations with the Department of Health and Children on draft new regulations to require operators in the retail and catering sectors to provide country of origin information on poultrymeat, pigmeat and sheepmeat. It is intended to submit these regulations, when they are finalised, to the European Commission for approval, as required by EU legislation.

Of course, the preferred way forward is that the Commission would progress the question of country of origin labelling of all meat at EU level. The Minister has been in regular contact with the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection on this subject and also raised the issue in the Agriculture Council, and she will continue to take every opportunity to press for progress on this matter. The Minister has also used the opportunity provided by bilateral meetings with EU ministerial colleagues to seek their support for EU action on country of origin labelling and so far has been encouraged by their response.

Last year the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission undertook a consultative process on a wide range of issues in this area, under a document entitled "Labelling: Competitiveness, Consumer Information and Better Regulation for the EU". I arranged for the Department to make a submission on food labelling and country of origin labelling of meat through the Department of Health and Children, which co-ordinated the Irish contribution to this process. This confirmed our strong preference for origin labelling of meat and meat products, and the desirability of there being common EU-wide legislation to support a labelling regime. I also ensured that the second outstanding issue, namely, the definition of substantial transformation, was raised in the submission to the Commission.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for that detailed response, which has answered many of the questions in my original queries and some I had asked previously. I am somewhat concerned that when we raise issues such as traffic light food labelling, this kind of question is kicked back to the Department of Health and Children although the Minister for Agriculture and Food has commented on it. I am concerned about the interaction between the Departments. Will the Minister's consumer liaison panel examine the traffic light issue as a specific aspect of food labelling, one that is relevant to the Department of Agriculture and Food as well as the Department of Health and Children? It has been passed back and forth. I know the Minister does not fully agree with my views or those of Deputy Naughten in this regard but I would like to hear the views of the consumer liaison panel. As the panel comes under the banner of the Department of Agriculture and Food, it might be appropriate for it to examine this issue.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The dairy industry in my part of the country would not be enamoured of the idea of traffic light labelling — I heard this directly from industry members, particularly with regard to cheese and other dairy products. As issues arise they are considered by the different agencies working in this area. Very quick action was taken following the consumer liaison panel's highlighting of consumer concerns on the issue and subsequently the food labelling group and an interdepartmental agency implementation group were established. All except two of the 21 recommendations made by the food labelling group have been implemented. We want to see additional progress on food labelling and this is an issue we highlight consistently at European Union level. I have outlined our preferred method of dealing with the matter. With regard to traffic light labelling, the recommended daily allowance is another suggestion put forward as a method suitable for labelling.

We are determined to make progress within the European Union on this issue. The directorate dealing with health and consumer protection has held a consultation process on the issue to which we submitted a strong submission through the Department of Health and Children. The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, can verify that we have received more positive responses from Ministers of the other member states than we would have got some time ago with regard to the need for the European Union to have better systems of food labelling.

We are determined to make progress on the issue. While some progress has been made, we are determined to make further progress on issues such as substantial transformation and country of origin. There are serious obstacles, but the preferred route is to get European Union-wide recognition of the need for country of origin labelling.