France asks the European Court of Justice for the legality of banning the use of terms such as "steak" in relation to plant-based food

Published Aug 9, 2023

Tridge summary

The French Conseil d'Etat has asked the European Court of Justice to clarify if a ban on using meat-related terms for plant-based products complies with EU law. The request comes in response to a legal case brought by the European Vegetarian Union, who argues that the decree violates EU law. France was the first country in the EU to attempt this type of ban, while other countries like South Africa, Australia, and Belgium have also proposed similar restrictions on plant-based product labeling.

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Original content

The French Conseil d'Etat has asked the European Court of Justice (CJEU) to clarify whether a government decree banning the use of terms "meat-like" for plant-derived products complies with EU law. The government body asks for information whether individual Member States can introduce this type of law or whether harmonization at EU level prevents it. If the legislation is considered admissible, the Conseil D'Etat will seek clarification as to whether the decree is a proportionate means of achieving the objective of transparency for consumers. The requests come in response to a legal case brought by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) and other parties - who say the decree violates EU law - against Conseil D'Etat. When the CJEU provides clarifications, the court case will resume. France was the first EU country to try to introduce such a ban. Moods in other countries The decree was originally published last year, with the intention of banning the use of terms such as "steak" and ...

Source: Foodfakty