Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - EU - 2017

European Commission Press release, 13 September 2017

FOOD QUALITY - The State of the Union 2017: Catching the wind in our sails

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker today delivered his 2017 State of the Union Address, before the Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, presenting his priorities for the year ahead and outlining his vision for how the European Union could evolve by 2025 (see full speech). He presented a Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union (see Roadmap Factsheet).

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today: "The wind is back in Europe's sails. But we will go nowhere unless we catch that wind. (…) We should chart the direction for the future. As Mark Twain wrote, years from now we will be more disappointed by the things we did not do, than by the ones we did. Now is the time to build a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe for 2025."

President Juncker's speech in the European Parliament was accompanied by the adoption of concrete initiatives by the European Commission on trade, investment screening, cybersecurity, industry, data and democracy, putting words immediately into action.

A series of factsheets published today also expand on some of the key elements touched upon in the President's speech.

With respect to food, the following was stated:

• Dual Foods: "In a Union of equals, there can be no second class consumers. I will not accept that in some parts of Europe, consumers are sold food of lower quality than in other countries (…) Slovaks do not deserve less fish in their fish fingers. Hungarians less meat in their meals. Czechs less cacao in their chocolate."

An EU factsheet is available to explain this issue.  See Factsheet: Dual Quality of Products