This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/04/horsemeat-scandal-uk-brussels-failing-france
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Horsemeat scandal: UK and Brussels failing on food regulation, says France | Horsemeat scandal: UK and Brussels failing on food regulation, says France |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| France has accused the European commission and Britain of failing to protect consumers after the horsemeat scandal. | France has accused the European commission and Britain of failing to protect consumers after the horsemeat scandal. |
| Paris says Brussels and London are dragging their heels over proposals to improve food safety by introducing the labelling of meat in ready-made meals. | Paris says Brussels and London are dragging their heels over proposals to improve food safety by introducing the labelling of meat in ready-made meals. |
| The French economy minister, Benoît Hamon, said both were completely ignoring customers' concerns, and that the vast majority of Europeans wanted to know what was on their plate and where it had come from. | |
| "If the European commission is unable to protect European customers on something like this, then it is failing in its basic duty," he said. | |
| France, with the backing of four other EU countries, has proposed regulations that would require companies to state what meat was in industrially produced food and where it had come from. It also wants regulations concerning the provenance of beef extended to other meat and poultry. French ministers say this "transparency and traceability" is what customers seek after the row over horsemeat in lasagne dishes found on sale in several European countries, including Britain, in February this year. | France, with the backing of four other EU countries, has proposed regulations that would require companies to state what meat was in industrially produced food and where it had come from. It also wants regulations concerning the provenance of beef extended to other meat and poultry. French ministers say this "transparency and traceability" is what customers seek after the row over horsemeat in lasagne dishes found on sale in several European countries, including Britain, in February this year. |
| France has been openly critical of what it has described as Britain's opposition to Europe-wide food labelling regulations, which it believes is giving in to the powerful "food industrials" lobby against tighter rules. | France has been openly critical of what it has described as Britain's opposition to Europe-wide food labelling regulations, which it believes is giving in to the powerful "food industrials" lobby against tighter rules. |
| Hamon said: "The commission came up with a report saying there are three options: do nothing, perhaps do something, or really do something. A primary school child could have come up with that. And how much did we pay for this report?" | Hamon said: "The commission came up with a report saying there are three options: do nothing, perhaps do something, or really do something. A primary school child could have come up with that. And how much did we pay for this report?" |
| His colleague, the agriculture minister, Stéphane Le Foll, accused the British of sitting on the fence and "being difficult, as always". He said the British were "very quick to call for sanctions" against the French company at the centre of the horsemeat row, whose bosses now face prosecution, but that London refused to support calls for label regulation. | His colleague, the agriculture minister, Stéphane Le Foll, accused the British of sitting on the fence and "being difficult, as always". He said the British were "very quick to call for sanctions" against the French company at the centre of the horsemeat row, whose bosses now face prosecution, but that London refused to support calls for label regulation. |
| Hamon said there were millions of ready-made meals produced in Europe, and the self-policing of the industry had been shown to be ineffective. France had submitted proposals to the commission and after urging Brussels to react speedily, had been promised a report "in the autumn". | Hamon said there were millions of ready-made meals produced in Europe, and the self-policing of the industry had been shown to be ineffective. France had submitted proposals to the commission and after urging Brussels to react speedily, had been promised a report "in the autumn". |
| "We still don't have that report and it appears things are not moving forward. What worries us is that the commission is not doing anything concrete about something of fundamental concern to consumers as what is on their plate," Hamon said. | "We still don't have that report and it appears things are not moving forward. What worries us is that the commission is not doing anything concrete about something of fundamental concern to consumers as what is on their plate," Hamon said. |
| "Britain wants sanctions against offenders, but we need to change the law to avoid the same thing happening again. Britain is sitting on the gate and not accompanying us on this." | "Britain wants sanctions against offenders, but we need to change the law to avoid the same thing happening again. Britain is sitting on the gate and not accompanying us on this." |
| He added that Europe's – and Britain's – inaction risked "feeding Euroscepticism" in the months before European elections next year. | He added that Europe's – and Britain's – inaction risked "feeding Euroscepticism" in the months before European elections next year. |
| "The citizens of Europe just want to know what they are eating and we think it's important that this information is available to consumers. We don't know what the British [government] want[s], because they are no longer saying," he said. | "The citizens of Europe just want to know what they are eating and we think it's important that this information is available to consumers. We don't know what the British [government] want[s], because they are no longer saying," he said. |
| He added: "Of course we can never guarantee 100% that the consumer will know what is in their food because there are always cheats and thieves, but labelling regulations will make things more difficult for them." | He added: "Of course we can never guarantee 100% that the consumer will know what is in their food because there are always cheats and thieves, but labelling regulations will make things more difficult for them." |
| Le Foll said France also wanted regulations that enable beef to be traced, introduced after the outbreak of mad cow disease, extended to other fresh meat, poultry and fish. | Le Foll said France also wanted regulations that enable beef to be traced, introduced after the outbreak of mad cow disease, extended to other fresh meat, poultry and fish. |
| "We realise that none of this is going to happen in five minutes, but we haven't even started discussions," Le Foll said. | "We realise that none of this is going to happen in five minutes, but we haven't even started discussions," Le Foll said. |
| "But Britain's Conservative government has made it clear that they consider it all too complicated." | "But Britain's Conservative government has made it clear that they consider it all too complicated." |
| A Defra spokeswoman said: "We fully support action to give consumers more information on the origin of their food. We have pressed the EU commission to produce the findings of their report into origin labelling of meat but additional labelling must be meaningful and avoid placing unnecessary cost burdens on food businesses." | |
| In September, eight managers from the French company Spanghero were arrested as part of the investigation into the horsemeat scandal and allegations of violations of public health and environmental regulations. | In September, eight managers from the French company Spanghero were arrested as part of the investigation into the horsemeat scandal and allegations of violations of public health and environmental regulations. |
| The company is under investigation for alleged fraud an the mislabelling of products. It is accused of knowingly selling horsemeat as beef. | The company is under investigation for alleged fraud an the mislabelling of products. It is accused of knowingly selling horsemeat as beef. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |