The European Commission has published a draft amendment to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (the "EU Schools Scheme"), which includes regulation of the protein sector, cannabis requirements, the possibility of introducing marketing standards for cheese, protein crops and meat, the application of additional import duties, provisions for the availability of stocks in emergency and serious crisis situations, and guarantees.
Regulation No. 1308/2013 also contains definitions, labels and trade descriptions for a number of products, including wine, dairy and meat products, chicken eggs, fat pastes and meat. It is this last category of products that is subject to significant amendments.
Changes to meat labelling
The key change in the naming of meat products is related to the proposed addition of a new part (Ia) to Annex VII (Definitions, designations and trade descriptions of products referred to in Article 78) of Regulation No. 1308/2013.
According to this provision (Article 78 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013), labelling of products from certain sectors must be based on the descriptions and definitions set out in Annex VII, which may only be used in the EU for the marketing of a product that meets the relevant requirements set out in that Annex. This means that, if the new rules are adopted, products placed on the market will have to comply with the amended naming requirements.
According to the proposed amendments, the term "meat" will refer exclusively to the edible parts of an animal. Consequently, "meat products" will refer to products derived exclusively from meat, with the understanding that substances necessary for their production may be added, provided that these substances are not used to replace, in whole or in part, any meat component.
Terms such as beef, veal, pork, turkey, chicken, lamb, lamb, tenderloin, ribs, wings and bacon, among others, will be reserved for products derived exclusively from meat at all stages of marketing.
The term "meat" and the above terms may also be used together with a word or words to describe composite products, none of which replaces or is intended to replace any meat component and in which meat constitutes a significant part, either in quantity or in characteristics.
Consequently, products of plant origin that are substitutes for meat of plant origin cannot be labelled with terms related to meat products. As stated in the draft explanatory note, "recognising the natural composition of meat and meat products becomes important in the interests of both EU producers and consumers, as meat-related terms often have cultural significance".
The authors of the draft also noted that "special legal provisions should be introduced to protect meat-related terms in order to increase transparency in the domestic market regarding the composition and nutritional value of food products, and to ensure that consumers can make informed choices, especially for those seeking certain nutritional values traditionally associated with meat products".
Other areas of regulation
The amendment will also cover other areas, such as the marketing of high-quality agricultural products typical of the most remote regions and the conditions for the use of the relevant logo. Another area to be regulated is the production and marketing of hemp, as well as its import.
For example, hemp seeds for sowing and unprocessed hemp may be produced in the Union, provided that they are grown from a variety of Cannabis Sativa L. registered in the General Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plants with a maximum content of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol of 0.3% or less. In addition, the new rules will strengthen the Union's food security by clarifying the requirements for agricultural stocks and coordinating preparedness and response mechanisms for food security crises, as well as strengthening actions in the event of serious crises or emergencies, inter alia, by obliging Member States to provide the Commission with real-time reports on relevant public and private stocks of agri-food products.
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