Chocolate Products: Directive (Hansard, 2 February 1998)

§ Lord Donoughue

The Government are opposed to those amendments which would discriminate against chocolate containing small amounts of vegetable fat or against high quality UK milk chocolate. We will continue to resist any proposals which do not fully recognise the types of chocolate traditionally made in this country and which have been enjoyed by British consumers for many decades. The European Parliament's amendment deleting the derogation which allows the UK to continue to use the term "milk chocolate" for its milkier product sold in this country is unwarranted discrimination against a product for which our consumers have expressed a preference for over 90 years. The proposal for front-labelling of chocolate containing vegetable fats will not help consumers and would damage the image of all chocolate. It is also unacceptable and will be opposed. During our presidency, every effort will be made to reach agreement on a new directive which would allow different chocolate-making traditions to co-exist in a genuinely harmonised market leaving EU consumers free to choose from a wide range of chocolate products.