Sep
16
Mussel canning factory. (Photo: Anfaco)
New EU labelling requirements outrage mussel producers
SPAIN
Monday, September 17, 2012, 01:50 (GMT + 9)
The Regulatory Council of Galician Mussel considers the decision taken by the members of the European Parliament consisting in removing the requirement to include the product origin and the species commercial name on can labels as “disastrous.”
“The products from Galicia will lose their protection against anonymous cans flooding the market,” the organization complained.
Given this situation, the Council expects Xunta de Galicia intervenes in this decision taken by the European Parliament, which is included in the Stevenson Report on fisheries and aquaculture products.
This document of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) is one of the four reports of the future Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), regulating the fishing industry from 2014 to 2020.
To the Council, the European Parliament’s measure not only affects the “viability of the mussel sector and that of the Galician seafood,” but it also harms the “consumers’ interests.”
According to the Council president, Francisco Alcalde, in the case of mussels, they have experienced “unfair competition from mislabelled foreign products” for years, since they deceptively seek to exploit the prestige acquired by the mussel native to Galicia.
At the entity, they regret that the Spanish MEP Carmen Fraga has justified the proposal that determines “consumers should be deprived from information” with certain arguments.
One of her arguments is that the data on the species and origin of the canned products make labelling complicated “without contributing anything relevant to the consumer, who would be unable to digest so many details,” reported La Opinión.
In this regard, Alcalde pointed out: “Consumers’ intelligence is underestimated,” and they have the right to know “what species a can contains and its origin to avoid confusion and fraud.”
In this context, he recalled that the approved labelling requirements are not final yet, since they need the approval of the Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU).
“Therefore, our politicians still have a lot to do,” he added.
Alcalde expects that the Minister for Rural and Marine Affairs of Galicia, Rosa Quintana, intercedes with Miguel Arias Cañete, head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama), for him to defend seafood from Galicia in Europe and to correct the consumer’s lack of protection.
Related article:
– Brussels accepts to provide aid to mussel producers
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member ANFACO-CECOPESCA – Asociacion Nacional de Fabricantes de Conservas de Pescados y Mariscos-
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