Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
Euro MPs from the European People's Party (EPP), Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) and European Conservatives (ECR) groups are set to reject an important European Commission proposal aimed at improving transparency in fish labelling, tomorrow in a crucial committee vote at the European Parliament.
According to the current provisions, producers are only required to indicate on the labels the fish species, the catch area and whether or not the fish has been harvested.
To enhance transparency for EU consumers, the European Commission has now proposed to add other crucial information, including the date of catch and if the fish is fresh or defrosted.
In opposition to this proposal, the European conservatives and liberals want to use the date of landing instead of the date of catch, so EU consumers will not know whether the fish sold as fresh at their market has just been caught and landed or frozen before landing.
S&D spokesperson on Fisheries, Ulrike Rodust MEP said:
"EU consumers have the right to know whether or not the fresh fish they want to buy has been caught the night before or one month before and then defrosted. Regardless of the high reliability of the technologies for preserving the fish as fresh, EU citizens have the right to be informed and to choose what they prefer.
"European Socialists and Democrats are strongly convinced that the European conservatives and liberals' proposal goes against the EU consumers' interests and their right to transparent information.
S&D rapporteur on Fish labelling, Dolores Garcia-Hierro said:
"We urge these groups to reconsider their decision and to back our compromise introducing a clear and mandatory distinction between the fish caught and kept frozen before landing and the fish caught and immediately landed by small vessels on 24-hour trips.
"By making it mandatory for these vessels to state also the date of catch, consumers will have the evidence that the fish they want to buy as fresh was caught just a few hours ago and has not been previously frozen.
"However if the label only indicates the date of landing, this would mean that the fish has been frozen on the vessel before landing."
Paolo Alberti
+ 32 2 283 20 40
+ 33 3 88 16 40 82
+ 32 476 95 51 44
Contacts
GARCÍA-HIERRO CARABALLO Dolores
+ 33 3 88 17 52 51
+ 32 2 284 52 51
dolores.garcia-hierrocaraballo@europarl.europa.eu
+ 33 3 88 17 52 51
+ 32 2 284 52 51
dolores.garcia-hierrocaraballo@europarl.europa.eu
Associated media
Fresh fish: Conservatives set to undermine transparency on labelling. S&D spokesperson on Fisheries, Ulrike Rodust MEP said: 'EU consumers have the right to know whether or not the fresh fish they want to buy has been caught the night before or one month before and then defrosted. Regardless of the high reliability of the technologies for preserving the fish as fresh, EU citizens have the right to be informed and to choose what they prefer'
Fresh fish: Conservatives set to undermine transparency on labelling. S&D rapporteur on Fish labelling, Dolores Garcia-Hierro said: 'We urge these groups to reconsider their decision and to back our compromise introducing a clear and mandatory distinction between the fish caught and kept frozen before landing and the fish caught and immediately landed by small vessels on 24-hour trips'
Loading
