Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has held either informal or formal discussions directly with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland or with the Department of Health and Children or the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding environmental labelling of Irish food; her views of the UK Government's recent report in collaboration with Manchester University Business School on the environmental impacts of food production and consumption; her views on whether her Department should contribute to the commissioning of a project to map the environmental impacts of the top 150 food products sold in supermarkets here; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter of environmental food labelling. [9099/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Health & Children has responsibility for the European Communities (Labelling, Presentation and Advertising of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2002 (S.I. No. 483 of 2002 — as amended) which is the main legislation in Ireland dealing with the general labelling of pre-packaged foodstuffs. It also requires information on food labels to be given clearly, accurately and in a language understood by the consumer. There are many other separate labelling provisions in national and European legislation, such as provisions relating to nutrition, natural mineral waters, novel foods, food additives, food supplements, sweeteners and declarations on price indication, weights and measures and merchandise markings.

My Department is responsible for more detailed legislation on the labelling of specific food products including beef, poultrymeat, milk and milk products, spirit drinks and wines. The labelling of fish and fish products comes within the remit of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

The European Commission is reviewing its labelling legislation having taken account of stakeholder opinions canvassed over recent years. At the request of the Department of Health and Children, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) undertook a public consultation exercise on the European Commission consultation document — "Labelling: competitiveness, consumer information and better regulation for the EU". A large number of comments were received and these have assisted in developing this Irish response to the questions raised. This submission is also cognisant of the relevant findings and recommendations of a survey commissioned by the FSAI in April/May 2002, the aim of which was to provide a better understanding of consumer attitudes, knowledge and awareness with regard to food safety and standards within Ireland. In addition this response takes account of the report of the expert Food Labelling Group established in July 2002 by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, which examined issues surrounding food labelling in the context of consumer expectations.

Like the Minister for Health and Children I have no proposals at present to commission research along the lines suggested. I do not rule out that it might be worthwhile to consider such research at some later stage. I also agree with her view that our approach to all aspects of food labelling reforms needs to be achieved through the development of a consumer-friendly EU wide policy on food labelling. The Department of Health and Children and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland are focusing efforts on the labelling reform process currently underway in the European Union.

I have also raised the matter of accurate food labelling in the Council of Ministers as well as in bilateral contact with Commissioners Fischer Boel and Kyprianou. I will continue to take every opportunity to raise these important matters at Community level.