Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 35: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress that has been made with regard to ensuring foodstuffs of foreign origin cannot be labelled as having been produced here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20181/09]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Food labelling is governed by Council Directive 2000/13/EC which was transposed into Irish law in 2002. The principle underlying this Directive is that the purchaser must not be misled to a material degree, particularly with reference to the nature, composition and origin of the foodstuff. In addition, there are national regulations for beef and veal, making mandatory the display of the country of origin on the label.

In January 2008, the European Commission presented its proposals on updating and harmonising this legislation. The draft EU Commission proposal makes allowance for voluntary Country of Origin Labelling for food products. The Commission has proposed that "where the country of origin or the place of provenance of the food is not the same as the one of its primary ingredient(s), the country of origin or place of provenance of those ingredient(s) shall also be given". Furthermore, it proposes that "for meat, other than beef and veal, the indication on the country of origin or place of provenance may be given as a single place only where animals have been born, reared and slaughtered in the same country or place. In other cases information on each of the different places of birth, rearing and slaughter shall be given". The proposal is still under discussion at EU working group level.

In November 2008, Ireland submitted its position paper on the proposal which supports mandatory Country of Origin Labelling. This paper was informed by submissions made to the FSAI by many of the key stakeholders. Ireland's position will be further informed by the outcome of an FSAI Consumer Survey, to be completed in June 2009.

Since January 2008 a number of meetings have taken place at European Union Working Group level, attended by officials from Department of Health and Children and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The next meeting is due to take place on 28 May 2009. On 16th March 2009, the European Parliament examined the proposal. Parliament has indicated, however, that it will not be in a position to conduct the first reading of the document until after the European Parliament elections. At this stage, it is likely that the proposal will not be finalised until end of 2009 at the earliest. Meanwhile, Ireland will continue to build alliances among member states, in addition to Italy, who to date have strongly advocated country of origin labelling.