On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 2001/110/EC relating to honey, 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption, 2001/113/EC relating to fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée intended for human consumption, and 2001/114/EC relating to certain partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk for human consumption
AGRI-PA-752691
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Emmanouil Fragkos
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The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development's draft opinion responds to the Commission's proposal to revise the 'Breakfast Directives' on honey, fruit juices, jams and preserved milk. It calls for stronger honey traceability, border checks and origin labelling, and for higher fruit and lower sugar content in jams and juices.¶¶¶ It asks the committee responsible to confirm the definition of honey, to require the country or countries of origin on the packaging, and to exempt single-portion breakfast packs from that requirement.¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calls on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to take into account its amendments confirming the definition of honey and requiring the country or countries of origin on the packaging, with an exemption for single-portion breakfast packs.¶¶¶
Key points
- The 'Breakfast Directives' set common rules on composition, sales name, labelling and packaging of certain foodstuffs to protect consumers and the internal market.¶
- The directives have been in force for more than two decades and need revision to support healthier diets and help producers under the Farm to Fork strategy.¶
- The covered products are important for European agricultural production and for incomes and balance in remote regions.¶
- European beekeepers need support and consumers need information and protection, including against imported sweeteners.¶
- The absence of labelling on honey production and processing methods harms European producers and misleads consumers on nutritional value and quality.¶
- The European Anti-Fraud Office found in March 2023 that 46% of honey imported from non-EU countries was suspected of being non-compliant with EU legislation.¶
- Traceability and intensive border controls should be strengthened, blends of honey rigorously checked, and the label should state all individual Member States and non-Member States of origin.
- Importers and retailers should conform to European rules and sell only beekeeping products meeting the Codex Alimentarius definition of honey.¶
- Blends of honey will be permitted, but consumers should be able to make informed choices, with packaging stating origin and whether the honey is a blend with European honey.¶
- Parliament should impose strict rules and properly support apiculture, since no tangible results followed the 2018 resolution.¶
- For jams and fruit juices, the aim is to increase fruit content and reduce sugar content through research and innovation, reducing chemical processing and preservatives.¶
- Trade agreement countries should be bound to reduce pesticides and herbicides and harmonise with EU standards, with no exceptions for fruit destined for jam.¶
Who is affected
- European beekeepers, who need support to continue producing and face unfair competition from imported honey.¶¶
- Consumers, who need information and protection to make informed choices and avoid misleading labels.¶¶
- Companies importing foreign honey and retailers, who should conform to European rules and sell only qualifying products.¶
- Countries with which the EU signs trade agreements, which should be bound to reduce pesticides and herbicides and harmonise with EU standards.¶