Euro food firms warn on ‘renationalising food policy’

By Michael Stones

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags European union

Food and drink manufacturers’ competitveness is being stifled by unaddressed policy challenges: FoodDrinkEurope
Food and drink manufacturers’ competitveness is being stifled by unaddressed policy challenges: FoodDrinkEurope
The European Commission (EC) should resist the renationalisation of food policies, such as country of origin labelling measures, urges euro food and drink manufacturers’ representative FoodDrinkEurope.

Responding to EC president Jean-Claude Juncker’s state of the union speech on Wednesday (September 13), FoodandDrinkEurope president Hubert Weber warned that renationalising policies threatened food and drink manufacturers’ competitiveness.

In a letter to Juncker and vice president Frans Timmermans, Weber warned of the food and drink industry’s concerns about “the increasing trend to renationalise policies, such as the country of origin labelling measures adopted by several individual Member States”.

‘Stifling the competitiveness’

The commission should tackle “a growing list of outstanding/unaddressed policy issues, which are stifling the competitiveness of the sector,”​ he warned.

“In the absence of action at EU level, individual Member States have, in several instances, decided to go ahead on their own, creating fragmentation and problems for trade and business.”

Voicing food and drink manufacturers’ full support for the European project and key importance of the Single Market, Weber said better regulation, and particularly the mutual recognition principle, should be made more workable.

Importance of the Single Market

“FoodDrinkEurope supports an ambitious future for Europe and stands ready to cooperate with the European institutions in making a success of Future of Europe plans, which take into consideration the need for a strong and forward-looking union, which puts its people and societies first and creates wealth and prosperity for all,”​ the trade association said in a statement.

Jean-Claude Juncker’s warning

The UK will “soon regret”​ leaving the EU, he said. Is he right? Share your views in our quiz below.

The organisation represents Europe’s largest manufacturing sector, with 286,000 companies, including leading firms, with 4.2M employees.

Meanwhile, the UK will “soon regret”​ leaving the EU, warned Juncker in a wide-ranging speech to the European Parliament .

Juncker said: “Brexit is not the future of Europe. It is not the be all and end all.”

The president went on to set out plans for closer economic partnership and defence co-operation within the EU.

In March Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed that the UK would quit the Single Market​ of 510M consumers.

So, is Juncker right? Will the UK “soon regret”​ leaving the EU? Test your views against those of other FoodManufacture.co.uk readers by taking part in our quiz below.

Survey

Will the UK “soon regret” quitting the EU, as predicted by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker?

  • No chance. Roll on March 31, 2019 when the country will finally be free of the EU

    25%
  • Yes; sadly, he is right. Saying goodbye to 510M customers in the Single Market will hit business hard

    50%
  • Maybe, maybe not: depends on the terms of our exit deal

    25%
  • Don't know. Jean-Claude who?

    0%

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