BETA


2013/2997(DEA) Provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of 'engineered nanomaterials'

Progress: Procedure completed - delegated act rejected

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ENVI KLASS Christa (icon: PPE PPE), PIETIKÄINEN Sirpa (icon: PPE PPE), WESTLUND Åsa (icon: S&D S&D), RIES Frédérique (icon: ALDE ALDE), SCHLYTER Carl (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), LIOTARD Kartika Tamara (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 105-p3

Events

2014/08/11
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2014/04/12
   EP/CSL - Initial period for examining delegated act extended at Parliament's request by 2 month(s)
2014/03/12
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2014/03/12
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 402 votes to 258 with 14 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the Commission delegated regulation of 12 December 2012 amending Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of ‘engineered nanomaterials’.

To recall, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on Food Information to Consumers provided that all food ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials must be clearly indicated in the list of food ingredients to ensure consumer information. The Regulation, accordingly, provided for a definition of ’engineered nanomaterials’.

The Commission delegated regulation excluded all food additives included in the Union lists from the new definition of ‘engineered nanomaterial’ and instead suggested that the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements relating to those additives should be addressed in the context of the re-evaluation programme in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010 , by amending, if necessary, the conditions of use in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives.

Noting that it was precisely food additives that may be present as nanomaterials in food, Parliament considered that this blanket exemption annulled the labelling provisions for all food additives that were engineered nanomaterials .

The Commission had justified this blanket exemption for all existing food additives by stating that ‘indicating such food additives in the list of ingredients followed by the word ’nano’‘ in brackets may confuse the consumers as it may suggest that those additives are new while in reality they have been used in foods in that form for decades’.

Parliament rejected this justification as erroneous and irrelevant, as the Regulation on food information did not provide for a distinction between existing and new nanomaterials, but explicitly required labelling of all ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials.

The resolution stressed that the Commission’s stated intention to address the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements concerning food additives on the Union lists in the context of the re-evaluation programme was inappropriate as it confuses safety issues with general labelling requirements for consumer information purposes. Moreover, this also suggested that the Commission questions the very need for specific nano-labelling

On the basis of these considerations, Parliament felt that that the Commission delegated regulation was not compatible with the aim and content of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011and that it exceeded the delegated powers conferred on the Commission under the latter. It called on the Commission to submit a new delegated act which takes into account the position of Parliament.

Documents
2014/02/18
   EP - Motion for a resolution objecting delegated act
Documents
2014/02/05
   EP - KLASS Christa (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/02/05
   EP - PIETIKÄINEN Sirpa (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/02/05
   EP - WESTLUND Åsa (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/02/05
   EP - RIES Frédérique (ALDE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/02/05
   EP - SCHLYTER Carl (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/02/05
   EP - LIOTARD Kartika Tamara (GUE/NGL) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2014/01/15
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2013/12/12
   EC - Non-legislative basic document
Documents
2013/12/12
   EC - Non-legislative basic document published
Documents
2013/12/12
   EP/CSL - Initial period for examining delegated act 2 month(s)

Documents

  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2014)457
  • Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
  • Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0218/2014
  • Motion for a resolution objecting delegated act: B7-0185/2014
  • Non-legislative basic document: C(2013)08887
  • Non-legislative basic document published: C(2013)08887
  • Non-legislative basic document: C(2013)08887
  • Motion for a resolution objecting delegated act: B7-0185/2014
  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2014)457

History

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

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events
  • date: 2013-12-12T00:00:00 type: Non-legislative basic document published body: EC docs: title: C(2013)08887
  • date: 2013-12-12T00:00:00 type: Initial period for examining delegated act 2 month(s) body: EP/CSL
  • date: 2014-01-15T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2014-03-12T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=24245&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2014-03-12T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0218 title: T7-0218/2014 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 402 votes to 258 with 14 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the Commission delegated regulation of 12 December 2012 amending Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of ‘engineered nanomaterials’. To recall, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on Food Information to Consumers provided that all food ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials must be clearly indicated in the list of food ingredients to ensure consumer information. The Regulation, accordingly, provided for a definition of ’engineered nanomaterials’. The Commission delegated regulation excluded all food additives included in the Union lists from the new definition of ‘engineered nanomaterial’ and instead suggested that the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements relating to those additives should be addressed in the context of the re-evaluation programme in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010 , by amending, if necessary, the conditions of use in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives. Noting that it was precisely food additives that may be present as nanomaterials in food, Parliament considered that this blanket exemption annulled the labelling provisions for all food additives that were engineered nanomaterials . The Commission had justified this blanket exemption for all existing food additives by stating that ‘indicating such food additives in the list of ingredients followed by the word ’nano’‘ in brackets may confuse the consumers as it may suggest that those additives are new while in reality they have been used in foods in that form for decades’. Parliament rejected this justification as erroneous and irrelevant, as the Regulation on food information did not provide for a distinction between existing and new nanomaterials, but explicitly required labelling of all ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials. The resolution stressed that the Commission’s stated intention to address the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements concerning food additives on the Union lists in the context of the re-evaluation programme was inappropriate as it confuses safety issues with general labelling requirements for consumer information purposes. Moreover, this also suggested that the Commission questions the very need for specific nano-labelling On the basis of these considerations, Parliament felt that that the Commission delegated regulation was not compatible with the aim and content of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011and that it exceeded the delegated powers conferred on the Commission under the latter. It called on the Commission to submit a new delegated act which takes into account the position of Parliament.
  • date: 2014-04-12T00:00:00 type: Initial period for examining delegated act extended at Parliament's request by 2 month(s) body: EP/CSL
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    • The European Parliament adopted by 402 votes to 258 with 14 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the Commission delegated regulation of 12 December 2012 amending Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of ‘engineered nanomaterials’.

      To recall, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on Food Information to Consumers provided that all food ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials must be clearly indicated in the list of food ingredients to ensure consumer information. The Regulation, accordingly, provided for a definition of ’engineered nanomaterials’.

      The Commission delegated regulation excluded all food additives included in the Union lists from the new definition of ‘engineered nanomaterial’ and instead suggested that the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements relating to those additives should be addressed in the context of the re-evaluation programme in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010, by amending, if necessary, the conditions of use in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives.

      Noting that it was precisely food additives that may be present as nanomaterials in food, Parliament considered that this blanket exemption annulled the labelling provisions for all food additives that were engineered nanomaterials.

      The Commission had justified this blanket exemption for all existing food additives by stating that ‘indicating such food additives in the list of ingredients followed by the word ’nano’‘ in brackets may confuse the consumers as it may suggest that those additives are new while in reality they have been used in foods in that form for decades’.

      Parliament rejected this justification as erroneous and irrelevant, as the Regulation on food information did not provide for a distinction between existing and new nanomaterials, but explicitly required labelling of all ingredients present in the form of engineered nanomaterials.

      The resolution stressed that the Commission’s stated intention to address the need for specific nano-related labelling requirements concerning food additives on the Union lists in the context of the re-evaluation programme was inappropriate as it confuses safety issues with general labelling requirements for consumer information purposes. Moreover, this also suggested that the Commission questions the very need for specific nano-labelling

      On the basis of these considerations, Parliament felt that that the Commission delegated regulation was not compatible with the aim and content of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011and that it exceeded the delegated powers conferred on the Commission under the latter. It called on the Commission to submit a new delegated act which takes into account the position of Parliament.

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      Provision of food information to consumers as regards the definition of 'engineered nanomaterials'
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