Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the obstacles preventing the implementation of the Food Labelling Group's recommendation in relation to its definition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9088/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Food Labelling Group was established in July 2002 to examine issues surrounding food labelling in the context of consumer expectations about the food they buy. The Group which was widely representative of the major stakeholders in the food chain, consumer interests, industry, Government Departments and Agencies — presented its report to the Department in December 2002.

As regards the recommendations of the Group the position is that all recommendations except two have been fully addressed. The outstanding issues relate 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, it is not as straightforward as it is for beef. The European Commission, the Deputy will be aware, 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. I have been in regular contact with the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection on this subject and I also raised this issue in the Agriculture Council and will continue to take every opportunity to press for progress on this matter. I 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 have 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 my Department to make a submission on food labelling and country of origin labelling of meat through the Department of Health and Children, who co-ordinated the Irish contribution to this process. This confirmed my 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 i.e. the definition of substantial transformation was raised in the submission by the Commission. The concept of substantial transformation is the basis used throughout the EU and elsewhere to define the origin of goods as being from the country where the last substantial economic change was made to them. In my view it should not be used to disguise the origin of certain products or to mislead the consumer as to the origin of raw materials.