Mandatory EU made-in labeling pushes forward

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Published
Oct 24, 2013

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament has voiced its support of mandatory made-in origin labels for all products.

The decision was hailed by France and Italy, whereas Germany and Sweden warned that the measures are too bureaucratic. Some members of the business community view it as a protectionist decision.

Before the measure goes into effect, the text must be approved by the EU Parliament, subject to negotiations with the European Council. Under what is known as the "Tajani-Borg" law, the legislation would allow European companies to choose between a national made-in label or a made In Europe one. For products whose production chain is spread across various countries, the labeling will retain the country name where the majority of production took place.

The Commission's decision is based on findings indicating that 10% of hazardous substances identified by the European alert system RAPEX are of unknown origin. In demanding clear identification of a product's country of origin, the European Union wants to keep pace with similar policies already in place in the United States, Canada and China, but also those in Japan, South Korea and Brazil.

"It is so-called anonymous globalization that largely creates a distrust between citizens, consumers and producers regarding international trade," said the French Ministry of Productive Recovery. "By demonstrating their commitment to the "Made in" labeling, members of the European Parliament are empowering consumers who will be able to make their purchase decisions with full awareness."