Talks to confirm EU proposals to ban the use of ‘meaty’ descriptors such as ‘burgers’, ‘sausages’ and ‘steaks’ by plant-based brands have ended in deadlock.
Negotiations between the European Parliament, European Commission and Council of the EU – to confirm an October EP vote which ended in a clear majority for the controversial ban – were reportedly derailed by calls for additional restrictions on Wednesday.
The proposals, which passed the European Parliament vote by a 355-247 majority in October, covered 29 so-called ‘meaty’ terms, which also included ‘drumsticks’, ‘ribs’, ‘beef’ and ‘chicken’, as part of an amendment to the EU’s Common Market Organisation Regulation.
But after French MEP Céline Imart – who had proposed the initial vote – sought to add additional terms to the ban, including ‘foie’ and ‘ham’ for vegan and vegetarian products, the talks were said to have collapsed within two hours, without a definitive vote.
EU member states, led in the talks by Denmark, said they “simply had no mandate to move”, reported Politico, with plant-based NGO ProVeg International explaining Imart’s suggestion “went further than the Commission’s original proposal and reopened parts of the text that negotiators thought were already settled”.
Read more: Will Brussels finally bin plant-based ‘meaty terms’ ban?
Talks will now be postponed on the issue until Cyprus takes over the EU presidency in the new year.
“We are relieved that a vote on ‘meaty’ names for plant-based foods did not take place,” said ProVeg CEO Jasmijn de Boo.
“This allows the EU institutions time to reflect on the value of restricting plant-based food labelling. No-one is confused by terms like ‘vegetarian sausage’, as numerous surveys attest. So, in fact, there is no need to restrict such labelling,” she added.
“Instead, we must enter the New Year with determination to actively encourage the production and consumption of plant-based foods as a way to help boost the EU economy, improve the healthiness of European consumers’ diets, open up opportunities for Europe’s farmers and bring down the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
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