Minutes meeting 16/01/2008
The meeting of the Wine Intergroup of the European Parliament took place in the presence of Mrs Paula Pinho, member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Kyprianou, and of Mr José Ramón Fernández, Secretary General of the European Committee of wine enterprises (CEEV).
Mrs Paula Pinho, member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Kyprianou and responsible for health and nutritional labelling.
Mrs Pinho presented an overview of the Commission proposal to be adopted on the 30th of January regarding food labelling. She presented the general orientations of the Commission's position and the underlying principles.
Two consultations in 2003 and 2006 on labelling as well as a White Book on obesity in 2007 have revealed specific consumer needs regarding the labelling of consumer goods. The main objectives of the Commission proposal are the following:
- To consolidate and update existing legislation through a merger of both texts
- To allow a high level of consumer protection through the supply of precise information that is useful without being misleading
- To facilitate the functioning of the internal market by harmonising national dispositions
- To promote the competitiveness of European industry and to allow it to innovate
The proposal for a Directive covers all the food products packaged an un-packaged and concerns the nutritional and content labelling
Content labelling covers the list of ingredients and has to obey specific readability criteria.
Nutritional labelling is done on a voluntary basis. The Commission believes it has to become compulsory for five basic elements. Further information can be provided to consumers on a voluntary basis. Regarding the layout of the information, the Commission will leave Member States the choice whether to legislate on that matter.
Regarding the labelling of alcoholic beverages, the current situation calls for a revision of the dispositions for legal and political reasons:
- Legal aspect: the existing Directive 2003/13/CE calls on the Council to set up before 1982 a list of ingredients that have to be mentioned on alcoholic beverages. Hence, there is a legal vacuum to be filled.
- Political aspect: the Commission is obliged to take an interest in the labelling of alcoholic beverages because the Internal Market is being fragmented by different national legislation. Moreover, alcopops, as alcoholic beverages, escape rules on food labelling and no one knows their composition.
Wine is a particular product among alcoholic drinks. It is part of specific rules and regulations within a highly regulated sector. Commissioner Kyprianou is aware of these specificities and has taken them into account when he drafted his proposal.
Mr Jose Ramon Fernandez, Secretary General of CEEV
Wine is a specific product and one can cite ten good reasons to justify its exclusion from obligations regarding content and nutritional labelling:
1. Wine is an agricultural product defined as such, it results exclusively from total or partial fermentation of grapes.
2. The text of the wine CMO defines the entirety of the authorised oenological practices as well as production methods and rules on labelling.
3. Only the substances listed in the wine CMO can be used for wine production.
4. Wine is always a unique product and not the result of a precisely defined recipe, even when oenological practices are respected
5. The majority of products used to produce wine are natural products, a list of ingredients would not contain useful information for consumers
6. The final ingredients list cannot be established before bottling and its composition is in permanent evolution inside the bottle.
7. This sector is mainly composed of SMEs. New legislation on labelling would increase production costs.
8. Consumer expectations have to be taken into account. A study by DG SANCO on this subject in 2005 revealed that for consumers, wine is a product close to nature with an important cultural and social significance. Thereby it escapes from information normally requested by consumers for other products.
9. The current Directive 2003/13/CE recognizes that the denomination "Wine" is sufficient to cover the product and all of its components.
10. The EU is a leader on the wine market, a separate labelling for European wine lead to high costs and would disadvantage the European industry vis-à-vis its competitors. CEEV is in favour of harmonisation between the large production regions.
Furthermore, the difficult debates during the adoption of the Wine CMO have already dealt with the question of product labelling. The final compromise mentions that the addition of sugar and acid does not need to be mentioned on the label. Therefore it seems delicate to reopen the debate on these questions that were resolved with great difficulty by the end of 2007.
Interventions by Parliamentarians
Mrs Astrid Lulling, President of the Wine Intergroup (EPP-ED, Luxembourg)
Producers want to avoid at all costs the inclusion information on wine bottles regarding calories and the exact composition of wines, which do not interest consumers.
The recent adoption of the Wine CMO will introduce numerous changes for producers and they have to be given time to adapt to them before introducing new changes for the sector. These dispositions regarding labelling also risk harming exports to third countries.
Mrs Anne Laperrouze (ALDE, France)
It would be interesting to see which type of labelling is applied to wines coming from the other regions of the world. Europe must not give itself constraints that other producing regions haven't got. Even though the product evolves after being bottled, that does not constitute the strongest argument against establishing a list of ingredients.
Mrs Christa Klass (EPP-ED, Germany)
Commissioner Kyprianou should consult his colleagues, especially Mrs Fischer Boël, in order to find out about existing rules on wine labelling. Numerous rules have been established in the Wine CMO: sugar needs no mention because it is being transformed into alcohol, but acid needs to be listed because it is an allergen.
We must not lose sight of the fact that wine is a natural product to be consumed by adults who know the product and the way it is being made.
Mr Jean-Marie Beaupuy (ALDE, France)
We have to question the necessity and the utility of the information on a label. Why not include the number of the vine and the fabrication methods that were used.
Mr Thomas Wise (IN/DEM, United Kingdom)
We have to avoid bureaucratising wine, there is no need for legislation on this matter.
Mrs Pilar Ayuso (EPP-ED,Spain)
Wine production and labelling are already highly regulated; the Wine CMO has addressed the question. There is no need for any further legislation on this subject.
Mrs Anja Weisgerber (EPP-ED, Germany)
The regulation will also have to take into account vast regional differences that exist in the EU. We have to avoid creating more constraints for SMEs who already have to cope with the implementation of the changes brought by the Wine CMO.
Mrs Françoise Grossetête (EPP-ED, France)
The winemaking sector is sufficiently regulated, this trend has to stop. However, quality labels have to be strengthened to allow European wines to retain their leadership position in Europe and in the world.
Reply by Mrs Paula Pinho :
The EU is a pioneer in a large number of areas, it is therefore not a valid argument to point to the lack of initiatives from other countries as a reason not to take action. However, decisions will be made on the basis of consumer needs that have been sounded out in detail in the different consultations mentioned above.
Mr Kyprianou is in close contact with Mrs Fischer Boël and had the opportunity to address the question of wine. DG Sanco will take existing sector rules for wine into account.
Regarding the details that have to appear on the label, DG Sanco does not necessarily want to keep everything and stuff the information given to consumers. These days there is too much information that nobody reads, the proposed directive also wants to make labels easier to read and understand.
The Commission does not want to bureaucratise the sector, but to simplify existing legislation.
Reply by Mr José Ramón Fernandez
A few years ago, nutritional allegations on alcoholic products were prohibited. Now the Commission wants to impose nutrition labelling. That is quite a paradox, especially because wine consumers do not care about how many calories the product contains.
Other wine producing countries are taking important initiatives on this question. The United States are reflecting on the essence of the subject. We should take time to reflect more deeply on the specific question of labelling on wine.
Mrs Paula Pinho, member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Kyprianou and responsible for health and nutritional labelling.
Mrs Pinho presented an overview of the Commission proposal to be adopted on the 30th of January regarding food labelling. She presented the general orientations of the Commission's position and the underlying principles.
Two consultations in 2003 and 2006 on labelling as well as a White Book on obesity in 2007 have revealed specific consumer needs regarding the labelling of consumer goods. The main objectives of the Commission proposal are the following:
- To consolidate and update existing legislation through a merger of both texts
- To allow a high level of consumer protection through the supply of precise information that is useful without being misleading
- To facilitate the functioning of the internal market by harmonising national dispositions
- To promote the competitiveness of European industry and to allow it to innovate
The proposal for a Directive covers all the food products packaged an un-packaged and concerns the nutritional and content labelling
Content labelling covers the list of ingredients and has to obey specific readability criteria.
Nutritional labelling is done on a voluntary basis. The Commission believes it has to become compulsory for five basic elements. Further information can be provided to consumers on a voluntary basis. Regarding the layout of the information, the Commission will leave Member States the choice whether to legislate on that matter.
Regarding the labelling of alcoholic beverages, the current situation calls for a revision of the dispositions for legal and political reasons:
- Legal aspect: the existing Directive 2003/13/CE calls on the Council to set up before 1982 a list of ingredients that have to be mentioned on alcoholic beverages. Hence, there is a legal vacuum to be filled.
- Political aspect: the Commission is obliged to take an interest in the labelling of alcoholic beverages because the Internal Market is being fragmented by different national legislation. Moreover, alcopops, as alcoholic beverages, escape rules on food labelling and no one knows their composition.
Wine is a particular product among alcoholic drinks. It is part of specific rules and regulations within a highly regulated sector. Commissioner Kyprianou is aware of these specificities and has taken them into account when he drafted his proposal.
Mr Jose Ramon Fernandez, Secretary General of CEEV
Wine is a specific product and one can cite ten good reasons to justify its exclusion from obligations regarding content and nutritional labelling:
1. Wine is an agricultural product defined as such, it results exclusively from total or partial fermentation of grapes.
2. The text of the wine CMO defines the entirety of the authorised oenological practices as well as production methods and rules on labelling.
3. Only the substances listed in the wine CMO can be used for wine production.
4. Wine is always a unique product and not the result of a precisely defined recipe, even when oenological practices are respected
5. The majority of products used to produce wine are natural products, a list of ingredients would not contain useful information for consumers
6. The final ingredients list cannot be established before bottling and its composition is in permanent evolution inside the bottle.
7. This sector is mainly composed of SMEs. New legislation on labelling would increase production costs.
8. Consumer expectations have to be taken into account. A study by DG SANCO on this subject in 2005 revealed that for consumers, wine is a product close to nature with an important cultural and social significance. Thereby it escapes from information normally requested by consumers for other products.
9. The current Directive 2003/13/CE recognizes that the denomination "Wine" is sufficient to cover the product and all of its components.
10. The EU is a leader on the wine market, a separate labelling for European wine lead to high costs and would disadvantage the European industry vis-à-vis its competitors. CEEV is in favour of harmonisation between the large production regions.
Furthermore, the difficult debates during the adoption of the Wine CMO have already dealt with the question of product labelling. The final compromise mentions that the addition of sugar and acid does not need to be mentioned on the label. Therefore it seems delicate to reopen the debate on these questions that were resolved with great difficulty by the end of 2007.
Interventions by Parliamentarians
Mrs Astrid Lulling, President of the Wine Intergroup (EPP-ED, Luxembourg)
Producers want to avoid at all costs the inclusion information on wine bottles regarding calories and the exact composition of wines, which do not interest consumers.
The recent adoption of the Wine CMO will introduce numerous changes for producers and they have to be given time to adapt to them before introducing new changes for the sector. These dispositions regarding labelling also risk harming exports to third countries.
Mrs Anne Laperrouze (ALDE, France)
It would be interesting to see which type of labelling is applied to wines coming from the other regions of the world. Europe must not give itself constraints that other producing regions haven't got. Even though the product evolves after being bottled, that does not constitute the strongest argument against establishing a list of ingredients.
Mrs Christa Klass (EPP-ED, Germany)
Commissioner Kyprianou should consult his colleagues, especially Mrs Fischer Boël, in order to find out about existing rules on wine labelling. Numerous rules have been established in the Wine CMO: sugar needs no mention because it is being transformed into alcohol, but acid needs to be listed because it is an allergen.
We must not lose sight of the fact that wine is a natural product to be consumed by adults who know the product and the way it is being made.
Mr Jean-Marie Beaupuy (ALDE, France)
We have to question the necessity and the utility of the information on a label. Why not include the number of the vine and the fabrication methods that were used.
Mr Thomas Wise (IN/DEM, United Kingdom)
We have to avoid bureaucratising wine, there is no need for legislation on this matter.
Mrs Pilar Ayuso (EPP-ED,Spain)
Wine production and labelling are already highly regulated; the Wine CMO has addressed the question. There is no need for any further legislation on this subject.
Mrs Anja Weisgerber (EPP-ED, Germany)
The regulation will also have to take into account vast regional differences that exist in the EU. We have to avoid creating more constraints for SMEs who already have to cope with the implementation of the changes brought by the Wine CMO.
Mrs Françoise Grossetête (EPP-ED, France)
The winemaking sector is sufficiently regulated, this trend has to stop. However, quality labels have to be strengthened to allow European wines to retain their leadership position in Europe and in the world.
Reply by Mrs Paula Pinho :
The EU is a pioneer in a large number of areas, it is therefore not a valid argument to point to the lack of initiatives from other countries as a reason not to take action. However, decisions will be made on the basis of consumer needs that have been sounded out in detail in the different consultations mentioned above.
Mr Kyprianou is in close contact with Mrs Fischer Boël and had the opportunity to address the question of wine. DG Sanco will take existing sector rules for wine into account.
Regarding the details that have to appear on the label, DG Sanco does not necessarily want to keep everything and stuff the information given to consumers. These days there is too much information that nobody reads, the proposed directive also wants to make labels easier to read and understand.
The Commission does not want to bureaucratise the sector, but to simplify existing legislation.
Reply by Mr José Ramón Fernandez
A few years ago, nutritional allegations on alcoholic products were prohibited. Now the Commission wants to impose nutrition labelling. That is quite a paradox, especially because wine consumers do not care about how many calories the product contains.
Other wine producing countries are taking important initiatives on this question. The United States are reflecting on the essence of the subject. We should take time to reflect more deeply on the specific question of labelling on wine.
