The European Commission is being urged to expand mandatory origin labelling to more food products.

The call was made during a meeting of the AgriFish Council in Brussels yesterday (Monday, January 26).

The initiative led by France was supported by Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

"In the context of the multiplication of trade agreements, European consumers, who are concerned about the origin of products, are requiring greater transparency," the countries outlined in a document presented to the council.

Labelling

The member states are calling on the commission to urgently revise a regulation on the provision of food information to consumers and to extend mandatory origin labelling to a broader range of agricultural and food products.

The member states said existing rules on origin labelling of primary ingredients have "led to significant progress in informing consumers about the origin of foodstuffs and their ingredients".

However, they believe there is room for improvement, particularly with regard to the identification of primary ingredients, in order to ensure harmonised application within the EU.

European legislation already includes an obligation of origin labelling of a number of foodstuffs.

The member states said these rules "remain limited and do not cover all unprocessed products, in particular some of animal origin, and the origin of the primary ingredients in processed foods is not always indicated".

"The very concept of 'primary ingredient' remains vague and open to interpretation, which complexifies its implementation in a practical and harmonised manner.

"Furthermore, the concept of ‘EU’ and 'non-EU' labelling only partially meet consumers' demand for transparency," the document added.

Meeting

French Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard welcomed the commitment by the EU Commission to propose origin labelling in its Vision for Agriculture presented in February 2025.

She told the AgriFish Council that "origin labelling is still fragmented between the member states".

"The union should urgently strengthen origin labeling to provide essential information when consumers purchase food, that will also ensure fair competition for our farmers when it comes to products from third countries where production requirements are not as demanding as our own," she said (translated).

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) Timmy Dooley told the meeting that "country of origin labelling is a complex matter, particularly for the prepared consumer food sector".

He said that "additional labeling requirements could increase regulatory burdens and compliance costs and potentially act as a barrier to trade by making market access more complex and expensive for exporters".

"Doing so without careful consideration may lead to unintended consequence and policy outcomes that fall short of the intended goal.

"So in particular, it would risk undermining a single market principles, particularly for countries that export large volumes of product," he added.

Commission on labelling

EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Oliver Varhelyi said that the EU's food security rests on the trust of consumers in what they buy and farmers trust that rules are fair.

He said the EU legal framework for origin labelling has been strengthened over the years and now requires origin labelling for fish eggs, fruits and vegetables, honey, olive oil, wine and many types of meats.

The commissioner said it was important that existing rules are implemented and enforced by member states.

"We remain committed to transparency and to the right of citizens to make informed choices.

"As announced in the [EU] Vision for Agriculture and food, we will work with you to explore extending mandatory origin labelling to more products covered by sectorial legislation," he said.

"The commission stands ready to work with the member states to deliver a balanced and workable result, clear information for consumers, fair conditions for farmers, and a stronger, more resilient internal market," the commissioner added.

Consumers

European think tank Farm Europe welcomed the initiative taken by the member states during the Agrifish Council.

"We strongly believe that clearer and more comprehensive origin labelling would significantly strengthen consumer trust, enhance transparency and better valorise products produced in line with high European standards," Yves Madre, president of Farm Europe, said.

"It would also empower consumers to make more informed and sustainable purchasing choices, favouring local supply chains and short distribution circuits, while reinforcing the position of European farmers within the food supply chain," he added.