Activites

• 2000/08/03 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2000/36
  • OJ L 197 03.08.2000, p. 0019
• 2000/06/23 Final act signed
• 2000/06/23 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2265
• 2000/05/25 Council Meeting
• 2000/03/15 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0098/2000 summary

    The European Parliament has adopted, under the codecision procedure, the report drafted by Mr. Paul LANNOYE (GUE/EFA, Belg) for a resolution on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to adopting a European Parliament and Council Directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption. One new Article was included in the report which stated that "cocoa, cocoa butter and a series of other vegetable fats used in the manufacture of chocolate are mainly produced in the developing countries; it is in the interests of people living in developing countries that agreements of as long a duration as possible should be concluded; the Commission should, therefore, consider how the Community can support this in the case of the cocoa butter and other vegetable fats (for example by promoting 'fair trade')".�

• 2000/03/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/02/23 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0047/2000
• 1999/11/19 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2210
• 1999/10/28 Council Meeting
  • 09947/1/1999 summary

    The Council believes that to a large extent the common position meets the substance of the wishes expressed by the European Parliament, especially as regards the restriction on vegetable fats other than cocoa butter and the question of double labelling. With regard to vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, it believes that it has gone even further than the European Parliament by defining these fats as equivalents to cocoa butter and drawing up a list containing six specific fats of tropical origin (new Annex II), which are defined according to scientific and technical criteria. Furthermore, any enzyme treatment is prohibited. A seventh fat - coconut oil - is allowed only for the manufacture of ice-creams and similar frozen products. The Council has followed the Commission in accepting the principle of double labelling vegetable fats other than cocoa butter; it has laid down a specific statement which must appear on the wrapper, in addition to the list of ingredients. With regard to the positioning of this statement on the wrapping, it has provided that three elements, namely the statement that vegetable fats are included, the name under which the product is sold, and the list of ingredients, must feature in the same field of vision, but each clearly distinct from the other. The Council has introduced a new paragraph, as it judged it appropriate to make provision for the application of the co-decision procedure for any future amendments to the list of vegetable fats set out in Annex II. By the introduction of this new paragraph, the Council has fixed a deadline (66 months after the Directive comes into force) before which the Commission submits a proposal to amend the list of vegetable fats. This proposal will eventually take account of the results of a study to be carried out by the Commission on the Directive's impact on the economies of countries producing cocoa and other vegetable fats. Finally, with regard to comitology, the Council replaced the consultation procedure proposed by the Commission by the regulatory procedure.�

• #2193
• 1999/06/21 Council Meeting
  • 2193
• #2130
• 1998/11/09 Council Meeting
  • 2130
• #2094
• 1998/05/18 Council Meeting
  • 2094
• 1998/03/03 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0682 summary

    The amended proposal of the Commission incorporated in whole or in part three amendments adopted by the European Parliament concerning: - the reference to Community rules on additives used in foodstuffs; - the clearer definition of 'gianduia' and of 'gianduia' milk chocolate; - indication on the labelling of the use of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, in addition to the list of ingredients and on the same side of the packaging as the sales name. However, the position on the labelling must be left freely to the discretion of the manufacturer. The Commission rejected the amendments concerning: - taking into account the Community's international obligations, in particular under the International Cocoa Agreement; - deletion of the wording concerning adaptation of the Directive on chocolate to technological progress and changes in consumer tastes; - the development of reliable methods of analysis before the proposal for a Directive enters into force; - taking into account the interests of ACP countries and the conclusion of long-term contracts with them; - the restriction of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter to tropical fats not obtained using enzymatic production processes; - deletion of the derogation concerning the designation 'milk chocolate' in the United Kingdom and Ireland; - the delegation of powers to the Commission to define methods of analysis for precise detection of vegetable fats; - assessment of the Directive's impact on exports from ACP countries; - indication of the quantity of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in the list of ingredients; - the ban on indications or wording on the labelling relating to quality criteria for chocolate products derived exclusively from cocoa; - the reference to chocolate as a natural product and the use of natural manufacturing processes. �

• #2051
• 1997/11/27 Council Meeting
  • 2051
• 1997/10/23 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0505/1997 summary

    Adopting the report by Mr Paul LANNOYE (Green Group, B) the European Parliament confirmed the position adopted by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and amended the proposal for a directive by the Commission. The amendments relate mainly to labelling. Parliament wants chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter to be marketable in all Member States provided that the following prominent and clearly legible statement: 'contains vegetable fats other than cocoa butter' is included above, and separately from, the list of ingredients, on the top of the package. Other amendments stipulate that: - for chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter the quantities thereof must be indicated on the list of ingredients; - vegetable fats (such as shea butter produced in countries such as Mali or Burkina Faso) other than cocoa butter must be limited to tropical fats not obtained using enzymatic processes. Parliament is also opposed to the entry into force of the directive before a method has been established for detecting quantities of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate products. It calls on the Commission before 1 January 2002 to carry out a study into the impact of this directive on the export of cocoa by the developing countries and to inform Parliament. Finally, Parliament has amended the proposed definition of 'gianduia' (an Italian mixture of chocolate and hazel nuts) and removed the derogation enabling the United Kingdom and Ireland to authorize the use in their territory of the name 'milk chocolate' to designate chocolate with a high milk content. �

• 1997/10/08 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0310/1997
• 1996/06/21 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1996/04/17 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1995)0722 summary

    OBJECTIVE: pursuant to the undertakings given by the Community, simplify certain vertical directives on food in order to take account only of the essential requirements which the products covered by those directives must meet so that they can move freely within the internal market. SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a European Parliament and Council directive simplifies the list of 28 cocoa and chocolate products defined in Directive 73/241/EEC. The operative part includes provisions on the scope of the directive, labelling and the committee procedure. The annex contains the definitions and designations of the products and details of their composition. The proposal contains the following provisions: - the definitions of the raw materials and intermediate products have been deleted, since they primarily concern relations between manufacturers and are not essential requirements. - particular consideration was given to the issue of the use of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate production. In keeping with the subsidiarity principle, the Member States may decide whether or not to use vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in their national production, provided the following conditions are observed: . the added fats must be limited to 5% by weight of the end-product; . the other cocoa butter and dry cocoa contents specified in the directive may not be reduced. - in order to preserve the unity of the internal market, all chocolate products falling within the scope of the directive must be allowed to move freely throughout the EC under the trade names provided for in the annex to the directive; - in the interests of providing clear information to consumers and avoiding possible confusion regarding product composition, the directive stipulates the listing of the ingredients used in the manufacture of the product; - consumer information is strengthened in respect of chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter: the labelling must give a clear, neutral and objective indication of the presence of such substances. Producers and distributors of chocolate not containing vegetable fats may include a reference on the labelling to the fact that vegetable fats have not been used in the manufacture of their products as long as this does not mislead the purchaser; - as regards compliance with the composition criteria laid down by the directive, the Commission will ensure correct implementation of the Community directives on the official control of foodstuffs. Furthermore, it will implement a programme to develop methods of analysis allowing verification of compliance with the composition criteria. �

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1995)0722
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0310/1997
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0505/1997
• Debate in Council: 2051
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0682
• Debate in Council: 2094
• Debate in Council: 2130
• Debate in Council: 2193
• Council position published: 09947/1/1999
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0047/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0098/2000
• : Directive 2000/36
• : OJ L 197 03.08.2000, p. 0019

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)