Single market for food Archives

The denomination “Greek yogurt” cannot be used for yogurts produced outside Greece, a European Commission spokesperson told EURACTIV.com amid mounting tensions between Athens and Prague on the issue.

The 44 million workers in the EU’s food chain are vital to ensuring European citizens have access to sufficient quantities of high quality food. From farmers to retailers, the sector is constantly evolving to keep up with the major challenges of the future.

France's ministers for health, agriculture and the economy signed on Tuesday (31 October) a decree introducing a voluntary labelling scheme for food products to reduce obesity, causing upheaval in the food industry.

France is facing a shortage of butter in supermarkets, as producers are scrambling to meet increased demand. The price hike should last for months. EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France reports.

What has been mixed in the current dual quality food conversation is ‘quality versus recipe’, as consumers have different preferences on sweetness and saltiness and we just have to accept it, FoodDrinkEurope leader told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

As European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his State of the European Union address last month, there were several issues which sparked his passion. But one came as a surprise to the audience: fish fingers.

The European Commission said yesterday (26 September) it was ready to advise European consumers to boycott products of lower quality that are presented in Eastern EU countries with exactly the same packaging as in wealthier EU states.

Spain has notified the European Commission on 5 September it will create a new law to include the origin of milk on the label of milk and dairy products, adding fuel to the gastro-nationalism debate.

The European Commission approved last week three applications for geographical indication labels for products from France and Greece, continuing its drive to ensure quality and origin of food produced in the EU.

Europe’s food and drink producers have called on the Commission to come up with EU-wide standards on precautionary allergen labelling, arguing it is a much-needed step towards completing the single market.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker criticised double standards of food quality in his address to Parliament on Wednesday morning (13 September), saying that there should be no “second class consumers” in the single market.

Italy is seeking to reintroduce a requirement to specify the production site on the labels of transformed food products, in fresh defiance of Brussels' food rules after unilaterally mandating country of origin on pasta and rice labels last August.

The European Commission has called on the UK to guarantee the protection of food products labelled with the EU’s geographical indications after Brexit.

Two weeks before the EU-Canada trade agreement enters into force, France evaluates its environmental and health impacts and Belgium challenges the agreement in the European Court of Justice. EURACTIV France reports.

Greece plans to make country of origin labelling on milk mandatory from 2018, joining the growing trend of more precise food labelling in EU countries, which has angered the food industry.

Cheap imports of counterfeit honey are endangering beekeeping around the world, and the consequences for world food production are severe.

Europe’s soft drinks industry has announced it will stop selling sugary beverages in all schools in the European Union from late 2018. Health campaigners have welcomed the move but said more needs to be done to promote healthy eating in schools.

The Italian ministry of agriculture declared its intention on Monday (4 September) to include the origin of primary ingredients on the labels of tomato-based products, drawing criticism from the European food and drink industry for "undermining the EU single market for food".

The European Commission approved the Spanish Government’s request to recall nearly 20,000 tons of stone fruit from the market due toexcess production. EURACTIV’s partner EFEAgro reports.

Italy's decision to impose mandatory labelling on pasta and rice packaging has triggered protests from the food industry, which has called on the European Commission to cancel the measure.

Canada’s federal government has finalised the details of an additional import quota that will allow 18,500 tonnes of European cheese to enter Canada, but EU dairy producers aren't happy. EURACTIV Italy reports.

Spanish Partido Popular MEP Esther Herranz wants to harmonise the EU's border controls to protect food and plant products and prevent pests. EURACTIV’s partner EFEAgro reports.

British fruit farmers have warned the future of their sector is at risk because they cannot find enough seasonal workers to pick their produce. However, Farmers still see Brexit as an opportunity to adopt policies that would make the country more food self-efficient.

Simplified food label schemes like the UK-style traffic light will provide EU consumers clear and simple elements and therefore, better inform them, Marco Settembri told EURACTIV.com in an interview.