EuroCommerce welcomes the European Parliament vote on the report by Struan Stevenson MEP on the Commission proposal for the reform of the Common Organisation of the Markets (CMO) in fishery and aquaculture products. Additional labelling requirements such as the mandatory date of catch/harvest of fishery/aquaculture products have no relevance to food safety or quality. Indicating whether the product is fresh or has been defrosted needs to take into account the exemptions outlined in previous regulations.

“MEPs have sent a clear message that the new CMO regulation should have greater coherence with existing legislation”, EuroCommerce Director-General Christian Verschueren said. “We want to avoid increased costs and complexities for business operators that result in no added-value to consumers”.

While EuroCommerce supports provisions to improve the sustainability of fisheries, we do not support many of the new labelling provisions in the Commission’s proposal as they are inconsistent with those in the Food Information Regulation1 and the Control Regulation2. Labelling and consumer information are issues of particular interest for the retail and wholesale sector: consumers will shop with companies which provide them with the products and services they want, and product information is an important part of the marketing strategy to attract and retain the loyalty of customers.

The retail and wholesale sector will continue to provide consumers with the clear, understandable and reliable information they demand and deserve. EuroCommerce is committed to working with public authorities and stakeholders in securing a workable, sustainable EU fisheries reform. Together with the WWF and the European associations from the fish processing and consumer co-operative sectors as well as chefs, EuroCommerce has been calling for a real reform of the European Common Fisheries Policy, ensuring the delivery of real benefits for the environment and the economy3.

For further information, please contact:

Marjolein Raes, Director of Advocacy & Communications

Tel: +32 2 737 05 99

raes@eurocommerce.be

EuroCommerce and the commerce sector

EuroCommerce represents the retail, wholesale and international trade sectors in Europe. Its membership includes commerce federations and companies in 31 European countries. Commerce plays a unique role in the European economy, acting as the link between manufacturers and the nearly 500 million consumers across Europe over a billion times a day. It is a dynamic and labour-intensive sector, generating 11% of the EU’s GDP. Over 95% of the 6 million companies in commerce are small and medium-sized enterprises. The sector is a major source of employment creation: 31 million Europeans work in commerce. It also supports millions of dependent jobs throughout the supply chain from small local suppliers to international businesses.

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1) Regulation (EC) No 1169/2011

2)Regulation (EC) No 404/2011

3)Alliance for CFP reform