Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
|
|
Commission News Item, 23 September 2021
Overview by policy area
In its regular package of infringement decisions, the European Commission pursues legal action against Member States for failing to comply with their obligations under EU law. These decisions, covering various sectors and EU policy areas, aim to ensure the proper application of EU law for the benefit of citizens and businesses.
The key decisions taken by the Commission are presented below and grouped by policy area. The Commission is also closing 153 cases in which the issues with the Member States concerned have been solved without the Commission needing to pursue the procedure further.
The following are two items relating to food law extracted from the document:
Food safety: Commission urges CZECHIA to correctly apply EU rules on the performance of official controls
Today, the European Commission decided to send an additional reasoned opinion to Czechia for failing to comply with EU rules on official controls (Regulation (EU) 2017/625) by systematically requiring pre-notification of arrival of foodstuffs. The Commission considers that the obligation to report the arrival of goods from another Member State must not be systematic and limited to the extent strictly necessary for the organisation of the official controls. Since Czechia is continuously and systematically breaching EU rules on official controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625, the Commission has decided to send a supplementary reasoned opinion. Czechia has now two months to take the necessary measures to comply with the supplementary reasoned opinion, otherwise the Commission may, if appropriate, refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Food safety: Commission urges BULGARIA to correctly apply EU rules on the marketing of natural mineral water and spring water
Today, the European Commission decided to send a reasoned opinion to Bulgaria for failing to comply with the EU rules on marketing requirements for natural mineral and spring waters as set up Directive 2009/54/EC on natural mineral waters. The Bulgarian legislation does not prohibit the marketing of natural mineral waters and spring waters originating from one and the same spring, under more than one trade description, as required by Directive 2009/54/EC. Moreover, contrary to that Directive, the Bulgarian legislation does not require the indication of the name of the spring on the labels of those foodstuffs. Directive 2009/54/EC was adopted to eliminate differences between Member States' laws governing natural mineral and spring waters to protect the health of consumers, to prevent consumers from being misled and to ensure fair trading. Bulgaria now has two months to take the necessary measures to comply with the reasoned opinion, otherwise the Commission may, if appropriate, refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
