Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-14-Speech-2-060"
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"en.20000314.4.2-060"2
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"Mr President, consumer protection is our prime concern. The issue of the directive on the production and sale of chocolate is thus just as important.
The European Union must lead the way in simplification, confidence, authenticity and respect for differences. Since 1973, European legislation has stipulated that the designation ‘chocolate’ must be given to products containing only cocoa and cocoa butter. Some Member States have enjoyed a derogation from this law since acceding to the Union. That is fine, let everyone have their own chocolate bar in their own home. In a shop in my own home town, in Reims, I wish to be able to purchase a bar of chocolate produced according to the gastronomic traditions of my own country, without having to inspect the product on all sides and to put my glasses on in order to check its quality.
This labelling frenzy is admittedly necessary since there has been a loss in confidence, but, ladies and gentlemen, if you give up a specific definition of chocolate, then at least do so clearly and openly. I therefore urge you to support Amendments Nos 29 and 18.
Tastes are certainly culturally conditioned. If you yield to the compromise, then a foodstuff will be admitted into our territory which is described as ‘chocolate’ but which is not chocolate, as far as we are concerned. We are defending the concept of authentic chocolate. Cocoa butter is the very essence of chocolate. Let us respect the guarantee of flavour that it offers.
It is not enough to publish a White Paper on food safety in order to reassure consumers. It is not up to the small specialists and the small-sized businesses to invent a way to promote their know-how or to identify their special features with a label indicating, for example, ‘pure chocolate’ or ‘pure cocoa butter’. We are condemning an entire sector of specialists and SMEs if we accept any other definition of chocolate.
Today’s vote is a symbolic one. We must prioritise information for consumers and the interests of African cocoa-producing countries, associated to Europe under the Lomé Convention. Surely scheduling an economic impact study years after the application of a directive belongs to the realm of the absurd?
In order to appease the multinationals, consumers would have their lives made more complicated as labelling would become more creative and reassuring, small specialist chocolate makers would have to establish a ‘quality chocolate’ label, cocoa-exporting countries would have to adapt… and you dare to speak to us of a Europe that is close to the citizens, that is generous, transparent and respectful of cultural differences! We want none of your compromise chocolate, we are too familiar already with the Federalist recipe.
‘Entente culinaire’ between peoples is a difficult issue, it reflects our differences in too clear and practical a manner, and does not work towards all-out harmonisation. You should know, ladies and gentlemen, that making Europe tasteless will not contribute to its popularity."@en1
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