France seeks mandatory national origin labelling for dairy products

European dairy sector wants Single Market principle to safeguard the industry

The European Dairy Association (EDA) believe sthat the French national mandatory labelling decree for milk and milk products will be the death knell for the dairy sector.

This decree is a law approved by the EU Commission back in 2016 for a test period of two years, which aimed to introduce mandatory origin labelling for milk or milk products. 

According to members of the EDA, the success of the European dairy sector is based on the principles of the Single Market and the European economy as a whole relies on it as a vital source of export and import flow.

France, for example, exports 40 percent of its milk – and more than 65 percent is consumed within the European Union’s Single Market, the EDA highlighted.

EU General Advocate, Gerard Hogan, has defended the ‘Single Market’ principle for the dairy sector in the European Court of Justice case on the French national origin labelling decree.

The French Government claimed that the consumer perception of quality is part of the product quality, while Hogan argued that if the origin of a foodstuff has a tangible impact on the product itself, national origin labelling should be considered, which he says is not the case for milk.