§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the meat industry on the compulsory EU beef labelling scheme; and if he will make a statement. [123297]
§ Ms QuinAt its meeting in Luxembourg on 17 April the Agriculture Council reached a political agreement on the adoption of a common position on a Commission proposal for a Regulation laying down general rules for a compulsory beef labelling system in the EU. Since then we have received representations from a number of organisations involved in the beef supply chain expressing concerns about the compliance costs, the value of the proposed compulsory indications to consumers and the timescale for implementation.
Particular concern has been expressed about the requirement for beef to be labelled with the category of animal from which it is derived. We fully appreciate these concerns. The requirements may be amended following consideration of the proposed Regulation by the European Parliament.