Disinfo: EU wants to ban information about the of country of origin on the food labels

Summary

EU wants to ban information about the of country of origin on food labels. This measure is applied in order to fight against the nationalistic tendencies in member states.

Disproof

The original text from Italian website Afffaritalini is about a quarrel between the European Commision and Italy, since Italy started to demand from producers to write on food labels where the product was produced and packed. According to the European Commission, the current approach is that the country of origin or place of provenance labelling on food is voluntary, unless its absence could mislead consumers. The Regulation introduces mandatory origin labelling for fresh meat from sheep, goat, poultry and pigs. As of 1 April 2015, with some exemptions, the Member State or third country where the animal was reared and slaughtered will appear on the label of such meats. For foods bearing origin indications, the country of origin or place of provenance of the main ingredients must also be listed if those ingredients originate from a different place than the declared origin of the finished product. For example, butter churned in Belgium from Danish milk could be labelled as "produced in Belgium from Danish milk." The application of these rules is subject to the adoption of implementing acts which have not yet been adopted by the Commission. Those rules intend to protect consumers from misleading origin indications and will ensure a level playing field between food business operators.

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vlasteneckenoviny.cz
  • Reported in: Issue 86
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 02/11/2017
  • Outlet language(s) Czech
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Italy
  • Keywords: European Commission, European Union
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“The Words of Respect: Ethical Journalism Against Hate speech” is a joint project implemented by media organizations in eight European countries – Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. As part of the project, a 39-page document titled “Migration and Minorities Reporting: Procedures and Recommendations,” is a guide to journalists on how to properly “inform” about immigration. When activists paid by EU funders processed the “Migration Reporting and Minorities: Procedures and Recommendations, they “call for” re-evaluation, but in fact they call for self-censorship.

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Disproof

Improving journalistic ethics has nothing to do with self-censorship. Right at the very beginning of the Migration Reporting and Minorities: Procedures and Recommendations report, it is explicitly stated that "the content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Respect Words Project and cannot in any way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union". The report focuses on the way in which the information is interpreted, not on its content. It is the language used, giving the context for the immediate events etc. Source: www.respectwords.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Reporting-on-Migration-and-Minorities..pdf, hlidacipes.org/vedeni-tv-prima-naridilo/,

Disinfo: The Armenia-EU agreement does not affect the economy

The enhancement of cooperation with the European Union concerns modernization of our society in the first place. It is about good governance, human rights. It almost does not deal with economy.

Nov 01, 2017
Disproof

We have already seen several disinformation stories concerning the cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries; many of those myths are debunked here eeas.europa.eu/eap-myths, . In fact, the comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement between the EU and Armenia (CEPA) is mainly about economy. For example, the Agreement will provide a better regulatory environment, that will improve the business climate and investment opportunities for Armenian and EU companies, it also foresees liberalisation of bilateral trade in many services sectors which means that Armenian businesses will be able to participate in public procurement tenders in the EU and vice versa and it includes measures to reduce unnecessary barriers to trade. For example, public consultations on regulations affecting consumer products will be extended to companies of the other party, and cumbersome labelling requirements will be avoided. As a result, more companies will be able to offer their products in Armenian and the EU markets, ensuring competitive prices.

Disinfo: Only Europe gains from the association agreement with Georgia

The Association Agreement with the EU is very profitable for Europe because it can easily peddle its goods in our countries, while Georgian products are submitted to a quota that Ukraine,for example, has already exhausted.

Nov 01, 2017
Disproof

The EU provides Georgian companies with funding, training, and export support to new markets through the EU4Business initiative. Trade relations between the EU and partner countries are mutually beneficial. For example, the Eastern Partnership countries offer new markets and consumers to European businesses, and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine allow citizens in those countries to benefit from greater choice, quality and safety of products available to them thanks to increased standards of consumer protection.Georgia enjoy a zero customs duty policy on import of goods to EU countries, except for 1 product (garlic). There is no limit on the volume of Georgian goods exported to the EU. Only a few products represent exceptions, Georgia initially has zero customs duty for these products within a certain quota, after the expiry of which the import tariff must be paid. Customs controls at the EU's external borders mean that imported products must still comply with EU standards and requirements. The EU can also take measures if an EU-based industry complains about the damage caused by unfair practices such as dumping or subsidies. Furthermore, Ukraine can not use up quotas for Georgia, since the quota are country specific. eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/35712/myths-about-eastern-partnership-factsheet_en, . Further debunking at Myth Detector mythdetector.ge/en/myth/two-lies-about-association-agreement-european-union, .