Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-15-Speech-1-125"
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"en.20060515.16.1-125"2
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"Ladies and gentlemen, I too have serious reservations regarding the Commission’s proposal. Its administrative and financial burden will hinder competition and lead to price rises for consumers. I therefore wonder whom this costly system is supposed to benefit. The proposal will be detrimental to SMEs, for which any new red tape is an obstacle to business, and it paves the way for the monopolisation of the European market. I do not support these regulations on health grounds, since they cannot make any demonstrable improvements to the health of Europeans. Expensive nutrition and health profiles on food packaging will not in themselves influence consumer behaviour and will certainly not cause Europeans to lose weight or to improve their health. Such matters are influenced instead by lifestyle, a healthy environment and trust in doctors’ explanations and professional advice.
What European consumers obviously need is to understand all of the complex information on foods, and that applies to all EU Member States. I therefore support the consolidation of rules concerning claims made on foods throughout the EU and the fight against false claims. Consumers, however, would still much prefer to have transparency and visible information regarding ingredients, rather than an assessment of the health effects of each food. Unfortunately, this new regulation does not do a great deal in terms of improving guidance for consumers, for example with regard to the size of lettering and a clear, standardised format for claims. Instead of rules of this nature, it proposes a complicated licensing system for the content of information on food. Speaking as a doctor, I am aware of how important it is for people following special diets to be able to check exactly what is inside every food item. For example, people with gluten allergies need to know for certain that products such as unpacked pâté do not contain flour. From a health point of view, this is more important to them than information regarding the reduction of fat in yoghurt, something European consumers might enjoy along with a roll and butter, and, heaven forbid, even a slice of white pudding.
The Commission’s proposal runs counter to the Lisbon Strategy. I believe that tomorrow we will obtain a majority for our proposals, which at least pave the way for greater flexibility for registration, the possibility of greater protection of rights for claimants, a shorter protection period for scientifically established claims, the removal of unpacked alcohol products from the directive and other amendments. Otherwise we would have to reject the proposal outright."@en1
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