Commission launches public consultation on review of the EU marketing standards for agricultural products

Today, the Commission launched a public consultation, which aims to gather views for a possible revision of the EU marketing standards for agricultural products. Marketing standards establish the quality of products that are marketed to consumers through mandatory rules or optional reserved terms. They rely on technical product specifications to define uniform trade characteristics. For agricultural products, this covers freshness or size classification, presentation, labelling, packaging etc., but product specifications may also touch upon process and production methods. The consultation addresses in particular the potential of marketing standards to increase the supply of sustainable products and to streamline the current legislation. It targets operators in the food supply chain such as producers, traders, retailers, and their associations, consumers, civil society organisations and national authorities. Announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy, the review follows an overall evaluation process of the EU marketing standards laid down in the common market organisation, the ‘breakfast directives’ and Commission legislative acts. The consultation is open for 12 weeks, from 8 June to 31 August 2021. More information here.