European Commissions’ Intransigence on Consumer Labelling Huge Disappointment
Press Statement: Brussels — “EU talks on the regulation of food products made from cloned animals have failed again with the Council of Ministers, European Commission and European Parliament disagreeing on the way forward. The Parliament has quite rightly stuck to its guns on this. There is no good reason why EU shoppers shouldn’t have a label to show them where cloning has been used.” “It is particularly disappointing that when the Parliament offered a huge compromise to accept products from clone offspring in the food chain if labels were in place, the Commission insisted labels aren’t possible.
Statement of Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Europe
Brussels — “EU talks on the regulation of food products made from cloned animals have failed again with the Council of Ministers, European Commission and European Parliament disagreeing on the way forward. The Parliament has quite rightly stuck to its guns on this. There is no good reason why EU shoppers shouldn’t have a label to show them where cloning has been used.”
“It is particularly disappointing that when the Parliament offered a huge compromise to accept products from clone offspring in the food chain if labels were in place, the Commission insisted labels aren’t possible.
“Denmark clearly thinks a ban on cloning is feasible – are they wrong? Animals already have papers providing a variety of details about their health and movements, and part of the Council’s own proposal was to trace all clones and their offspring. This would be a clear basis for a sound labelling scheme. The irony is the Council’s own proposal shows it is possible to trace clones and label food from their offspring, yet they fight it.”
“European consumers reject cloning as cruel and unnecessary, yet the Commission seems determined to ignore them and bow to pressure from U.S. exporters led by politicians with links to the biotech industry, which spent over half a billion dollars in campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures over the past decade.
“The meat industry needs to realise that if they don’t get behind labels they risk a serious consumer backlash if avoiding conventional meat and milk becomes their only option. The stalemate only serves those who stand to make money from cloning by preventing any controls being put in place.
Food & Water Europe is a program of Food & Water Watch, Inc., a non-profit consumer NGO based in Washington, D.C., working to ensure clean water and safe food in Europe and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
Contact:
Eve Mitchell, +44 (0) 7962 437 128, [email protected]
Gabriella Zanzanaini, +32 488 409 662, [email protected]